SAVORY SNACKING
by eseldie
Summary: *UPDATE* The End.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

**SAVORY SNACKING**

It was 5 am when Ilsa Pucci rolled over in bed. She was going to make an honest attempt at 7 but the sleep she sought just wasn't going to come. She rose out of bed slowly and grabbed her robe. It was a bright Saturday morning and the weather was the nicest it had been in some time. She thought to herself how nice it would be to go for a long walk and relax, but her work ethic got the better of her. Her new foundation had jobs coming in like wildfire, and the crew started to show signs of physical exhaustion. After speaking with them, Ilsa decided that weekends off were now mandatory, and all of them were to take some sort of mini-vacation every few months...compliments of her.

She knew that Winston would listen and go somewhere exotic, Guerrero would be in some dark hole no doubt torturing someone while Ames would be in a wild college town where she could spread her wings without getting shot. Christopher Chance however was a bit different. He was perfectly content with lying around the warehouse all day with Carmine. Its not that she minded, but she knew that he needed to get away at some point. As for herself, she couldn't justify leaving with any sort of work that needed completed. She headed to the shower to get prepared for the day. The cool water made her skin tingle and it helped her to completely wake up. She grabbed her robe and headed to her closet. She was going to call Chance and ask if it was okay to come in and do some much needed work, but she thought it better to not. Just in case the man was making some sort of attempt at resting. She was quiet enough any other time.

When Ilsa arrived, the place was dead quiet. She thought Chance may have gone out after all. She went to the kitchen and grabbed some juice out of the refrigerator and went to her office. Considering no one was there, she walked over to the stereo to turn on some relaxing music. She smiled to herself and spoke aloud, "Jazz mix, you are definitely the choice for this mound of paperwork!" She put the CD in and the music started flowing. She sat down at her desk and closed her eyes for a moment and let the music relax her.

After a few moments passed, she reached down into her briefcase and pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds. Ilsa Pucci was a woman of dignity and amazement. A woman who probably never bit her nails or ate a candy bar in public. But here she was ready to let go of her inhibitions. Her friends back in London would be absolutely mortified if they caught her eating…of all things….sunflower seeds! A food that required the used of all parts of the mouth with an ending that included spitting out a shell. She chuckled to herself and was happy to be alone. She dove into her work.

Christopher Chance woke up with a puzzled look. He could have sworn Ilsa said no working on the weekends. Winston told him that he would be taking a trip to see some relatives while Guerrero and Ames never said about what they were doing. He never inquired to Ilsa about what she did in her free time, so he sat and pondered about who may have been playing music at this ungodly hour. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, only to hit the back of a huge sleeping pile of weight. Carmine never moved. He must have agreed that this hour was even too much for him. Chance showered and pulled on a pair of jeans.

He grabbed a towel to finish drying his hair and proceeded down the stairs. When he hit the bottom stair he stopped. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ilsa at her computer. It wasn't the music she was tapping her foot to, or the barely there shirt she had on. It was the sunflower seeds she was eating. He had to take a second look because he could not bring himself to the realization that this woman of such grandeur was eating the food of the ball diamond gangs he grew up with. He patiently watched her as she placed a few seeds in her mouth and within a split second was depositing the shells onto a small paper towel on the desk. He wondered how anyone could possibly eat those things with such speed…and grace. The act wasn't as unbearable watching Ilsa perform it.

When he finally snapped back into reality, he walked up to the front of her office. When she looked up, she was in the middle of shelling a seed. Her soft lips were slightly parted and her face started to flush when she realized she had been caught in between jazz and seeds. She started to blush even more when she realized there was an extremely attractive man without a shirt standing in front of her. After what seemed like years, she finished shelling the seed and grabbed the stereo remote to turn down the music.

"Mr. Chance, I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were here. I was hoping to come in and finish some work before it caught up to me."

He stared at her. "Ilsa I thought no work on weekends?"

"Well…yes…but. I needed to get my mind straight…you know."

Chance didn't say anything. He knew Ilsa needed to do work to get her mind off of a lot of things. Shooting Hector Lopez, a murdered husband. A cheating husband. "Sure. No problem."

He sat down on the edge of her desk. "What's that?" He pointed to the bag of sunflower seeds. She lowered her gaze in a bit of embarrassment. "This is a small vice of mine that now only you know about."

He raised an eyebrow. "Ilsa Pucci, billionaire eating sunflower seeds? Should I mention this to Connie?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

She shot him a leer right back and smiled. "No!" She pointed her finger at him. "And she won't be finding out either!"

"Cross my heart. How on earth do people eat those? Furthermore where did you pick up a taste for them?"

Ilsa motioned for him to sit down. "When I was growing up, there was a cute young man named Adam Smith. He apparently had a crush on me. We met at an old run down cricket field near my home where all of us children used to play. When he made me his girlfriend, he would always make it a point to bring me a small bag of sunflower seeds when we all played together. He would steal them from his father. His mother never allowed him to use chewing tobacco in the house so it was his only reprieve. He taught me how to be a whiz at eating them."

"What happened to him?" Chance was genuinely interested.

"Well the last time I heard, he and his family had fled from the gunfire to a relatives home somewhere South of us. I never heard from him since. Every time I want to think about home, I have a couple. And remember what it was like before all hell broke loose." Ilsa smiled at Chance. He knew the story brought back some hurt so he decided to change the subject.

"Well Mrs. Pucci, I never got the hang of those things. Care to give me a lesson?"

"You want me to teach you how to eat sunflower seeds?"

He gave her his best fatherly look. "Well technically you aren't supposed to be working young lady. Soooo…."

"Fine." She stacked her paperwork on the side of the desk and motioned for him to pull his chair beside her.

"Ok. The first rule is to not have 50 of these things in your mouth at one time. Amateurs think they can handle it. The pros only have 5 or 6. You are going to start with 1. Next, it is an art form. You aren't in the baseball bullpen so it has to look artistic."

Chance gave her a puzzled look. "Did your boyfriend teach you all of this?"

Ilsa gave him a small punch in the arm. "There are 3 ways to shell. You can crunch the entire shell open and eat the seed. You can crack it open between your front teeth from top to botto. Or…and this is my chosen method…you can slightly moisten the shell, place it to the side, crack it halfway open and pull the seed out with the tip of your tongue. That is the most complicated way, but Adam explained that it was the most attractive."

"Did your parents know that you were hanging around this guy? Geez what kind of cable was he watching?"

"Ok, Mr. Chance, I will demonstrate." Ilsa placed a seed in her mouth and within seconds she had shelled and eaten the inner flesh. He was simply amazed.

"I didn't even see you do anything."

Ilsa smiled. "Watch." She placed another into her mouth and sucked on it slowly. She slightly parted her lips so that he could see what she was doing. She deliberately cracked open the shell. Her tongue slid inside and pulled out the salty treasure.

Chance looked at her like she was insane. "This should be considered a dangerous sport you know."

"Ok your turn." She placed a seed in his hand and he threw it into his mouth. His first reaction was what she expected. Immediate crunch. Shards of seeds escaped his lips. She laughed and handed him another. This time he rolled it around trying to figure out how to complete the task. Crunch! Strike 2 she thought. She tilted her head and gave him a poor baby face. She gave him a third seed. This time she placed her hands on his cheeks.

"Alright Mr. Chance, before you go crazy, suck on the seed just a bit to moisten it." He complied. "Now, move it between your back teeth and bite down just a bit. But don't bite all the way thru."

Chance slowly bit down just enough to partially open the shell. He smiled. "Now move your tongue to the inside and take the seed out." She watched intently as his tongue moved slightly out of his mouth on its way to the prize. He poked and prodded a bit and finally opened his eyes expressively. "I did it. Ha!" She removed her hands and clapped. "Well done Mr. Chance! Adam would be proud." He shot her another fatherly look. "If you were my daughter, I would not let you hang around that kid!" She laughed at that.

They stared at each other for a moment while the music continued to play. The mix had landed on John Coltrane.

"Well I better get back to work." Chance placed his hand on Ilsa's wrist and gently pulled her back around. "Was I a good student?" Ilsa was caught off guard at their new proximity. "Ye-yes. You did well." She stammered. He placed his lips up to her ear. "I have a few lessons I could teach you." He gently kissed her ear and trailed down her neckline. He stopped at the point where her neck and shoulder met.

Chance pulled back to look into her eyes. They were warm and welcoming. She brought her hands back up to his face and gently pulled his lips to hers. His mind went in a million different directions. He thought about her eating the seeds, and the low cut blouse she was wearing. She tasted salty and sweet at the same time. No doubt a mix between the seeds and juice she had earlier.

Ilsa's head was spinning just as much. Her hands had moved from his face to trail down his bare chest. He tasted salty and minty. No doubt from the seeds and his toothpaste. He smelled delicious. After some time they broke apart to catch their breath. Ilsa spoke first.

"Were there any other lessons you wanted to teach me?" He smiled at her. "Yes ma'am." He grabbed her hand and led her up to his loft. It was going to be an interesting day off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

**As** I sit here with my leg propped up and iced (I have tendonitis in my knee) it has come to my attention that there are a few things I need to address before I continue with any sort of fanfiction.

1. Ilsa Pucci. No matter how tough she thinks she may be, could probably never turn away from Chance.

2. Can I (for just one day) have that woman's kind of cash flow?

3. Mark Valley once said in an interview that he doesn't like the Pittsburgh Steelers…since the Terry Bradshaw days. Well I am a Pittsburgh native, therefore a Steelers fan. So Chance will most likely be one as well.

4. My knee hurts.

5. What was FOX thinking when they cancelled this show?

6. I was a huuuuuuuuuuge X-files fan, so you will see some tributes to that show in my writing.

7. You all have written some damn good fanfiction.

8. RobertDowneyJrLove's shirtless fanfic makes me want to run my finely manicured nails down that man's bare chest.

9. My dogs smell bad….they need a bath.

10. The Steelers play the Ravens tonight….suck it Mark Valley! I still like you though as possible boyfriend material.

11. My knee still hurts.

12. My screenname is an anagram of my horse's name. Can you figure it out?

13. Learned Jackie played in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street…. thanks for ruining my sleep asshole!

14. If you pay enough attention you will notice that the Human Target bunch drank… A LOT! I mean I have my days…but they drank Scotch like it was going out of style! I bet I could make a drinking game out of that show!

15. Can I be in ABC'S new fantasy show Once Upon A Time? I would like to live in a fantasy world and get paid for it…and not go back to my real job.

16. My knee…still hurts.

17. Anyone know who made Indira's suit in "A Problem Like Maria"? I would like to have it.

18. Hey Mark Valley, when we bring home another Super Bowl ring…I'll try my best not to rub it in.

19. I despise reality television…because it isn't reality.

20. Mark Valley if you're single…..I can be

**Savory Snacking 2**

Ilsa followed Chance up to his loft. He turned her around and smiled.

"Mrs. Pucci, I must say that you are one of the most attractive women I have ever seen." Ilsa gave him a blank look. He looked at her a bit worried. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

The corners of her mouth rose slightly. "Christopher, that is the first time a man has ever said something like that to me." She was completely genuine in her words. It wasn't that men weren't attracted to her; it was the fact that they never looked deep enough into her soul to understand it was completely real. "Well I can't help it that the male species has its flaws…of course not me."

With that, Chance pulled her into his chest and kissed her. She melted into his embrace and felt completely safe. It wasn't the first time she felt safe around him, but this time was different. This time, she knew it was more than safety she was seeking.

She playfully pushed him away. "So Mr. Chance, was it your intention to seduce me away from my work?" He stared in the air as if to find his answer. "Well…um…no. You see, my boss said that I was supposed to be resting on the weekends. This morning, some stranger awakened me in my nice quiet warehouse and proceeded to take advantage of my inability to eat sunflower seeds."

Her eyebrows rose. "Oh? Were you frightened? Did you call the police?" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Nope…. couldn't." She took advantage of my weaknesses and exploited them. Then she forced me upstairs to her lair and the rest was history." Ilsa started laughing uncontrollably at his fabricated story. He put on a serious face. "It isn't funny Mrs. Pucci. I have been scarred for life."

She hugged him. "Well, I can promise, the next time you are in trouble, call me and I will rescue you." Chance leaned in to kiss her again when Ilsa's phone rang. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. "Excuse me." She pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Ilsa Pucci…Hello Connie!"

She whispered to Chance. "Excuse me." She walked over to his sofa and sat down. "Yes Connie. Not much, just work…yes I would be available. I would have to ask him about that." Chance gave her a questioning look. " Ok I will pass it on. Thanks…you too. Goodbye." Ilsa hung up the phone and got up.

"Well that was interesting. Connie invited us to see Carmen…in Verona." Chance's nose wrinkled up. "Like the play thingy?" Ilsa laughed. "Yes…the play thingy. Actually, she made the invite with a special interest in Mr. Guerrero." Chance thought at one point Guerrero was going to hop a plane to Connie's house. The man was infatuated by her. He knew she might have been a little out of his league, but he thought…what the hell!

"Well I am sure that we wouldn't have to break his arm to get him to go. I'm not sure about Winston and Ames." Ilsa got up and walked to him. "Well, Mr. Winston may be gone for awhile. I gave him access to my summer home in the Bahamas…and told him to stay as long as he would like. He is perfectly capable of working from there. As for miss Ames…well, she is in Mexico. Cancun to be exact."

"Ilsa you realize we will probably be bailing her out of a Mexican prison?"

Ilsa proceeded down the stairs. She turned around and looked at him. "I'll phone my pilot." Chance could only shake his head at her. He was ready for a getaway and he deserved it. He would need to be there anyway to watch Guerrero.

**1 Week Later-Hanger 13**

Guerrero grabbed Chance's shoulder. "Dude, I don't know if I can do this. I mean…Connie is like….smokin' hot." For the first time in their friendship, Chance saw fear in his eyes. "Are you serious? I have seen how ruthless you are. You tellin' me you cant handle women?"

"Chance, don't act like you wrote the book!"

Ilsa's Bentley pulled up on the tarmac. She got out and walked over to them. The first thing they both noticed was her choice of clothing. Denim. Just like the sunflower seeds, something she rarely indulged in. It wasn't a bad choice because the jeans defined the trillion curves she had from the hips down. She was wearing a pair of black knee high boots with a heel that looked dangerous if you crossed her the wrong way. Her shirt, like everything else she wore, hugged the right parts. She pulled her Gucci sunglasses from her face. When she stood in front of the guys, they had finally closed their jaws.

"What?" She looked puzzled. Chance finally broke the silence. " Nothing. Just looks like you're ready for a night on the town." Ilsa gave him a glare. " I like to travel comfortably on extremely long trips." She turned and proceeded to the stairs of her jet. "Chance looked at Guerrero and whispered. "Hell in heels!" Guerrero laughed at his comment. If Ilsa had heard him, he would have had one of those expensive heels in a place where sunlight didn't see much of.

Ilsa poked her head out of the jet. "Are you coming?" The two men picked up their duffle bags and got in.

It was a long plane ride. Ilsa had fallen asleep in her room while the guys were playing poker. "So what's up with you and the boss lady dude?"

Chance didn't look up from his hand. "Nothing. Same old same old."

Guerrero pushed his glasses up onto his nose. "Dude, you can't fool me. I see the way you two look at each other. Its like a damn movie every time she walks into the office." Chance put his hand on the table. "So, we have a little better understanding of one another."

Guerrero faked a girly voice. "Oh Mr. Chance, you're so handsome." He rolled his eyes and started smooching at Chance. "You're my hero!"

"Shut up man!"

Guerrero raised his eyebrows. "I bet she calls you Christopher doesn't she?" Chance just shook his head. Just then, the pilot came over the loud speaker. "Mrs. Pucci we are approximately 30 minutes from our destination."

Chance stood up. "I'm going to wake her up."

"Watch those heels man!" Guerrero laughed as he watched Chance disappear to the back of the plane.

He knocked on the door. There was no answer. He slowly opened it and peeked his head in. "Ilsa?" She didn't answer. He opened the door the entire way and saw her sleeping. She looked relaxed. He walked in and stood beside her bed. He watched her for a moment. Her chest rose and fell evenly as she inhaled deeply. He swore that her neckline deserved its own zip code. Every muscle moved in unison against her skin. Chance was mesmerized at how perfect she was. He furrowed his eyebrows. He wanted her to be able to stay right there and be happy the rest of her life. But Connie's invitation ruled out. He sat down beside her and pushed a lock of hair away from her face.

"Ilsa. Ilsa we are getting ready to land" He said quietly. She slowly opened her eyes and looked him. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Long enough for me to kick Guerrero's ass in poker." She smiled.

"Feel better?" Ilsa nodded. "Yes I feel refreshed. I have a feeling Connie will have us quite exhausted during this trip." Chance leaned down close to her and leered. "Well we can send her and Guerrero off while we enjoy our little vacation."

Ilsa placed a finger on his lips. "Mr. Chance, you may take your sultry self up to the front of the plane and prepare for landing."

He smiled against her finger and closed his eyes. "I would have already been up there if you hadn't seduced me in here. Geez woman, I just came in here to get you up." He walked out and closed the door.

When the plane landed, Connie greeted them. She threw her arms around Ilsa. "Its wonderful to see you! It has been too long."

"It's lovely to see you Connie."

Connie looked over at the guys. "Gentlemen, it's lovely to see you as well."

Chance and Guerrero said in unison. "Hey." Guerrero was once again mesmerized. He was broken out of his dream state by Connie.

"Well shall we?"

When they arrived at the hotel, Chance got out and looked up at the building. It was something out of a movie. He looked at Ilsa. "Do you women ever do anything on a small scale?" Connie smiled. "Here are your keys gentlemen. If you need anything, the concierge will assist you. We are going to meet in the main lobby at five this evening."

Chance opened the door to his room. The Pucci foundation spared no expense wherever it went. The room was lavishly decorated with a combination of golds, greens and reds. He had a luxurious suite that included a full kitchen, a living room and a balcony that overlooked Verona. He walked onto the balcony and looked out. The air was cool and welcoming. He could not have asked for a better place to be in. there was a knock at his door. He walked over and pulled it open. Ilsa stood in his doorway. She didn't say anything as he stepped aside to let her in. Ilsa walked over to the couch and Chance followed behind her.

"You know Ilsa, I never got to finish what I star….." Ilsa threw her arms around Chance's neck and kissed him fiercely. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her just as strongly. He moved her backwards and gently laid her on the couch. Their lips never parted. After coming up for air Chance smiled.

"Just so you know, if anyone asks…I was minding MY own business when you seduced ME in MY room!" Ilsa smiled back at him. "So should I go then?"

Chance gave her a quick kiss. "Well you started now woman!" The phone rang. Chance hung his head down in defeat. "Come on! This is the second interruption while I'm….I mean YOU are trying to take advantage of me!" Ilsa pulled him down and kissed him. She nibbled on his lower lip then ran her tongue over it. This made Chance shudder. It sent chills down his body feeling her warm tongue running over his lip. Chance got up and looked at Ilsa. She looked beautiful with her lips now slightly red from their kissing. "Until we meet again Mrs. Pucci." He went to answer the phone. Ilsa got up and winked at him before she let herself out.

He smiled and picked up the phone. "Chance….Guerrero calm down….its ok man…alright I am going to get ready. Just chill out….you will be just fine. I'll see you in a few hours." Chance hung up the phone and chuckled. He knew Guerrero was a nervous wreck, but he was determined to get him relaxed for the show. He walked into his room to get ready.

Chance walked down to the lobby of the hotel. He saw Connie and Guerrero talking and thought to himself how nervous the guy had made himself over nothing. Connie was a very easygoing woman, but like Ilsa had a fiery side.

Chance was wearing a simple black suit and a black bowtie. It wasn't the simplicity of the suit; rather it was how his body fit into it. It was almost as if the suit was made for him. Some say the suit makes the man….Chance made the suit.

Connie smiled at him. "Mr. Chance, there seem to be some other women who are interested in you."

Chance looked around and had noticed a few women talking together and pointing in his direction. He shook his head. "Oh no Connie, that's your date they are checkin' out." Guerrero pushed his glasses up and Chance winked at him.

He glanced around the room. "Anyone seen Ilsa?"

Connie nodded towards the balcony. "She'll be coming through there in a few moments. The foundation donates a significant amount of money to the theatre and they always give a public thank you while the crowd is here."

Chance looked at Connie. "Aren't you part of that?" Connie shook her head. "I choose to keep a lower profile. Unlike Ilsa, I prefer to stay behind the scenes." This heightened Guerrero's senses. "Smart lady…. they see you once, they got your number." Connie nodded in agreement. "Smart man. Mr. Chance, you and Ilsa could learn something from us." Chance just shook his head. "You two are paranoid." They both smiled.

A short man in a gray suit came out onto the balcony. He raised his hands to quiet the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention. I am pleased to welcome you to tonight's presentation of Carmen. But before we begin I would like to introduce you to this evening's chair and sponsor. Mrs. Ilsa Pucci." Ilsa stepped into view and the crowd erupted into cheers.

Chance knew that Ilsa had an extravagant wardrobe that most of the other billionaire wives envied. But tonight she pulled out a number that couldn't be matched. It was a blood red dress with silver flecks sewn throughout. The neckline plunged deep enough to be deemed daring. When Ilsa turned slightly he caught a glimpse of the back...or what back there was. It exposed everything. He thought the jeans brought out her curves…nope…this dress redefined them. But it wasn't the neckline or the back. It was the slit up the side of the dress the made his heart skip a beat. He couldn't tell where it ended, but he was positive that if she moved the wrong way, the paparazzi would have a field day. He was broken out of his little world.

"Thank you everyone. I hope this evening will be a pleasure for you all. I would like to thank Mr. Smith who so graciously helped to coordinate this evenings events." The man blushed at her comment. "I would also like to thank my sister-in-law Connie who did not want to be up here with me." The crowd looked over to Connie and chuckled. She smiled and shook her head. "I would also like to thank two of my newest foundation's team members who are with us this evening. She paused. "Mr. Guerrero." The crowd could only assume it was Connie's date and clapped. "And my escort this evening, Mr. Christopher Chance." Most of the women around instantly knew who it was. The crowd once again clapped while a few of the women started whispering to one another.

"Once again ladies and gentlemen, thank you and enjoy your evening." The crowd clapped one last time. Mr. Smith held out his arm to Ilsa to walk her down the stairs. He was 5 shades of red by the time she put her arm through his. They proceeded to walk down the stairs while Chance excused himself from Connie and Guerrero. While he made his way thru the crowd, he never lost eye contact with Ilsa.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs Chance shook hands with Mr. Smith. "Thank you both again. Have a wonderful evening." Chance held out his arm and Ilsa placed hers through it. "I'm pretty sure you gave him a heart attack." She smiled. They went into the crowd and were stopped several times with thank-yous and hope-to-see-you-agains. He was completely natural. Just as he was when he first escorted Ilsa to a charity event.

When they finally met up with the others, Connie looked at Ilsa with raised eyebrows. "I told you he cleans up nice." Chance looked at her puzzled. Ilsa gave her a quick smile. "Well, shall we?" With no hesitation, Connie grabbed Guerrero's hand. She couldn't see the smile that spread across his face. They all walked into the theatre and up to the Foundations private box. Once they sat down, Chance put his arm around Ilsa's shoulders and one hand on her crossed knee. Ilsa leaned in and relaxed into his embrace. If they weren't in the theatre, they could have fallen asleep like little baby kittens.

After the show they had a few drinks at the bar next door. The men were impressed at how the women drank and danced and had a good time in dresses that probably cost a small fortune. Before it was all said and done, Guerrero and Chance had their bowties off and were on the dance floor. They danced the night away and closed the bar down. It had been too long since any of them had had this much fun.

They walked back to the hotel laughing and joking with one another. Connie looked at Guerrero. "Mr. Guerrero, would you mind walking me to my room?" He blushed. "Sure thing madam." They said their goodbyes and walked away. Guerrero turned around and mouthed Chance a "thank you". Chance gave him a thumbs up. Ilsa hit him on the shoulder and shook her head smiling.

They walked back to her room in silence. When they got to her door, she turned to him with a serious look on her face. "Thank you Christopher. For a wonderful evening." She looked down at the ground. "Marshall-." He cut her off.

"Don't." He placed a hand on her chin and lifted it to meet his gaze. "Don't beat yourself up over it Ilsa." She smiled into his hand. "Besides." He pointed both of his thumbs towards himself. "This guy enjoys seeing you smile." Her smile grew twice as large. "Thank you." She placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Ilsa." Chance walked down the hall to the elevator with a smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

It wasn't long before Chance got into his bed that he fell fast asleep. It had been quite the evening. Between the show and dancing and drinking he was ready for a well-deserved rest. It had been far too long since he had sleep where he didn't wake up a few times. From the day he started his job as the quiet assassin he was always one step ahead of his enemies and kept one eye open. But this night he knew that everyone he cared about was safe just as much as he was.

The next morning, he got up completely refreshed. The air was welcoming and the sky was clear. It was a wonderful Italian morning. Wonderful enough for a nice run. Chance got up and got dressed. He laced his shoes and walked down to the lobby. It wasn't busy like most American hotels at this hour. No crazy businessmen, no moms and kids and definitely no cars whizzing by at one hundred miles per hour.

He was greeted by the bellman and he waved as he took off running. Chance had never been to Italy, but was always told it was a gorgeous place. It was more breathtaking. A far cry from the old run down buildings he lived around. It wasn't that he didn't like his locale, but it was a nice change in atmosphere. He looked at his watch. 8 am. He had time. He pulled up a route on his GPS and took off. He passed through several small villages where the population was starting its day. He could smell fresh pastries and bread baking. Coffee and tea was brewing around every corner. Around his 5th mile, he started heading back. He spotted a small café that had fresh pastries in the window. He decided to stop in and grab something. Not for himself, but for Ilsa. She seemed to be on his mind for some reason. He figured it was most likely because he finally saw her relaxed and happy. He picked out some cannolis and tiramisu then headed back to the hotel.

**Guerrero's room**

Guerrero's body was rigid. He had no idea what to do…even worse, what to say. All he could do was try to figure out how Connie's dress was draped over the chair across the room and whose arm was across his waist. He knew none of them got drunk last night, and he was pretty sure that he and Connie just sat and talked after stopping by her room. He was supposed to escort her to her room…right? What the hell happened?

Connie tightened her grip around him. "Hmpf…..what time is it?" All Guerrero could do was respond. If he would have pretended he didn't hear, she would just asked again.

"Um..its about nine thirty. Late night huh?" The small banter was all he could muster.

"Yes Mr. Guerrero. I never knew you would be such a good dancer." This time she tightened her grip a bit more and tried to pull him around to face her.

He finally gave in and realized there was no escaping the position he was in. He turned around to find Connie smiling brightly at him. He smiled back at her. He was a dignified man in his own right and respected all women. At least the ones who were worth respecting. He respected Connie. He took a deep breath. "Connie….I think you're a wonderful person…but…did…we…" He stumbled through the sentence as best as he could.

She smiled again. " Mr. Guerrero, I am an extremely dignified woman, and although you're quite rough around the edges, I know you have more respect than that. In short…no. But we did end up holding each other all night."

"Well at the risk of sounding like a male chauvinist…I can handle that." He hugged her for a few moments.

"So I know you were going to meet me in Venice for the opera…but how about a stay at the beach? It is beautiful there. We could call the others and ride over there today…maybe stay a few nights?"

"The non-American Venice beach…I can dig that."

**Ilsa Pucci's suite**

Chance rang the doorbell to Ilsa's room. He hoped she was already awake. No answer. He rang it again. Still no answer. He was about to walk to the house phone to call her when the door opened. He was a bit in shock. There she stood…in her evening dress. Her hair was mussed and she was still wearing her shoes. All he could do was smile. She was absolutely beautiful. She motioned for him to come in. She didn't say a word and went straight back to her bedroom and crawled back into the bed. She had turned her back to Chance out of a bit of embarrassment.

In a sleepy voice she spoke to him. "Before you pass judgment, please note that I have not stayed up to that sort of hour since I was eighteen years old." Chance chuckled. He moved over to the bed and leaned his body over her torso. At that point, she was no longer embarrassed. She was more concerned about sleeping. "Mrs. Pucci maybe you should get up and take your dress off. Or at least your shoes. I brought you a gift."

She rolled her head over and raised a brow at him. "What?"

He raised the paper bag up for her to see. "There are some delicious things in here." She put one hand out to him. "I'll take one and another 8 hours of rest." Chance smiled. He opened the bag and broke off a piece of cannoli. He leaned closer to her and placed it on her lips. She gladly accepted it and licked the remains of the powered sugar from his finger. "That was good."

He sat up so she could roll over. "Connie invited us to Venice today. You game?" She frowned a bit. "You all are going to kill me aren't you?"

He shook his head. "Yup, that's the plan." She conceded to him. "Fine, you win." Ilsa got up. "But I need you to at least help me take these shoes off. They are a bit awkward." Chance motioned for her to walk to the foot of the bed."

Ilsa raised one leg up and showed him how to unbuckle the exquisite high heel. As soon as he started she began talking to him. "You know, I would have never guessed I'd see Mr. Guerro in a suit again. He looked pretty good." Chance only half heard what she said. He was too busy looking at how sexy her shoes were. And how sexier her ankle and leg looked. He shook the thoughts out of his head. "Ok, next one." Ilsa raised her other leg.

Chance was a man of honor and respect, especially towards Ilsa. She had a dignified manner, but began to let loose since she learned more about the team and its processes. He was fine with that, but there were times when he was completely controlled by her. This was one of them. When she raised her leg, the slit on the side of the dress happened to pick that exact time to find its way to her leg. Her leg separated the dress in two with precision. It fell to the side of her legs for what seemed like an hour. Chance's jaw dropped a bit. Her creamy leg was mere inches from his hand. He could only imagine what was underneath the rest of the dress. As high as the slit went, there wasn't much left to the imagination. Every other man would have realized that this was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

She broke him out of his daze. "Don't you agree?" He drug his gaze up to her and looked puzzled. "What did you say Ilsa?" She leaned back. "Were you listening?" He shook his head. " Um no. I was not listening to a single word you were saying." She pointed to the shoe. He finished unbuckling it.

She walked towards the bathroom. "I'm going to shower. Don't eat my gift." She waved a finger at him. She truly had zero intention of seducing the man, because her exhaustion was more important at that point. Before she walked all the way into the bathroom, she had dropped both straps of her dress. She dropped the entire dress as she finally entered. The angle of the bathroom saved Chance the heart attack of seeing it fall off of her.

A few moments later Ilsa called out. "Mr. Chance." He muttered under his breath. "Now what?"

He walked into the bathroom so he could hear. "Yes Ilsa?" She poked her head out of the shower door. "Could you hand me that facial cleanser on the sink please?" Chance looked at the million products on the sink. "Seriously, do you use all of this stuff?" She gave him a wry smile. "No, I just buy it to collect dust. It's the one in the purple bottle." He grabbed it and walked over to the shower.

It was the first time Ilsa noticed that he had running gear on. He was covered from his neck to his abdomen in sweat. "Did you go for a swim after you ran?" He looked confused. "Oh…yeah it was a bit warm." Ilsa leaned into him and inhaled. "You smell pretty decent for a man who ran all over Italy."

That was all Chance could handle. He looked into her eyes before he kissed her. She was caught off guard and grabbed onto him for balance. "You should be careful surprising woman like that. Especially in the shower." He leered at her. "Well maybe I should do it in the shower with them next time."

Ilsa had started to realize he was attracted to her while she was still waking up. Her own need began to get the better of her. She ran her hands down his sides and found the bottom of his t-shirt. She raised it up as high as she could until he was forced to break the kiss and raise his arms out of the shirt. As soon as the shirt was off he started kissing her again.

He lowered his running shorts and kicked off his shoes and socks. She slowly pulled him into the shower with her. Neither of them attempting to part from the other. Their bodies lit on fire. The heat from the water and the contact of their bodies made the temperature rise between them. He ran his hand up and down her sides and she tangled her fingers into his hair. He reached down and raised her leg against his hip. Their passionate kissing turned into something they had both longed for.

Without notice Chance turned her around and pinned her against the wall. The cold tile against her back and the pressure form his body made her inhale sharply. When he realized he had taken her breath away he broke the kiss and stared at her. He swallowed hard hoping he didn't hurt or scare her. She licked her lips and pulled him slowly in for another kiss. When they finally stopped to catch their breath, they stared into each other's souls for a moment.

Ilsa spoke first. "You didn't eat my cannoli did you?" Chance chuckled. He was glad she had broken the intensity. "No, but I will be forced to eat if you don't let me finish showering. It's what I came in here to do." Ilsa placed her hands on his upper chest. "Well in that case, Ill let you finish your business." She walked out of the shower and closed the door. He immediately turned on the cold water.

When they all met in the lobby Guerrero looked at Chance. He knew he wanted to ask why he had him bring clothes to Ilsa's room, but Chance just shook his head for Guerrero to not even go there. When the limousine pulled up, they got in and it drove off.

**Venice Beach**

The sun was high in the air and the beach was gorgeous. There was plenty of room to have your own entourage, but enough people around noticed when the Pucci family arrived. Guerrero looked around. "No yacht ladies?"

Connie pointed out into the water a few hundred yards away. "Actually there she is out there. I believe that is the Ilsa 7." Guerrero looked a bit shocked. "So the 7 must mean there are another 6?" Ilsa chimed in. Actually there are fifteen total. They are named after the women of the Pucci family.

Chance ran over yelling at Guerrero. "Hey man, look what I got!" He tossed a yellow football in his direction. "Sweet dude! I do miss some American traditions." The guys started tossing the football back and forth while the women set up. It was a perfect day for tanning. Connie had chosen a black monokini that fit her in all the right places. Ilsa, in her tasteful fashion chose a gorgeous print Prada bikini. They opened their beach chairs and started tanning.

After a few minutes, a bunch of guys walked up to Guerrero and Chance. One of the men stepped forward. "You are from America?" They nodded. "May we play?" The guys looked at each other and shook their heads. Chance decided that they would each head up a team. They helped them to get the concept of two-hand-tap football. Before long, the newly formed group of Italian men had got the hang of it.

Ilsa was watching the entire time reveling in the fact that there was a group of hard bodied men playing football in front of her. Connie had fallen asleep after reading her book. A woman called over to one of the men telling him it was time to leave. The man thanked them and left. Guerrero looked over at Ilsa. "Hey, Ilsa, wanna play? Games almost over." Ilsa shook her head.

Chance seized the opportunity to taunt her. "What's wrong little girl, you scared?" With that comment, she immediately got up and looked at Guerrero. "Oh I am sure I can help you out Guerrero." She donned her sunglasses and walked over to her team's huddle. She made sure that her backside was pointing towards Chance's huddle.

One of Chance's teammates got his attention. "I think their new player is calling you out." They all laughed. He immediately stood up from his crouch and looked over. He was met with a Prada covered backside bent over in a deep huddle stance.

After their plays were chosen the line was set. Guerrero snapped the ball to Ilsa and she began to run. She had all of the players blocked in front of her and the only one left was Chance. She approached him cautiously. "I think you might have gotten yourself in a bind here young lady." With that she moved forward. A duck. A dive and a spin later….crash! Chance hit the sand face first. She had beaten him on the final play. She ran the ball into their makeshift end zone where she raised her hands in triumph. Chance could only lie there and search for some shred of dignity. There was none to be found.

Ilsa walked up to him. "I believe the Americans call that GETTING OWNED!" She laughed and extended her and to help him up. After the Italian bunch left Guerrero went over to Connie who was now awake. "Can I interest you in a swim?" Connie put her book aside and held out her hand to Guerrero. Chance looked over at Ilsa. She shot a look back at him. "If you think for one moment I am going to entertain getting into that wat-" Before she could get the sentence completed, Chance had her swung over his shoulder. He headed towards the ocean. "Christopher Chance, you will not live to see tomorrow if y-…." But her pleas were too late. He carried her into the water and she gasped when it hit her. It was cool for the hot sunny day, but still nothing Ilsa wanted. Chance swung her down and wrapped his arms around her. "To the victor go the spoils."

Ilsa only shook her head. "I thought I was the victor?"

Chance kissed her. "Always …always."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

SAVORY SNACKING 4

The four of them had decided to go out on the yacht. The sky was beginning to get dark and the nightlife in Italy was about to commence. Ilsa phoned ahead for the boat to ferry them out. It was a gorgeous yacht. Tastefully decorated by her no doubt. They all boarded and were treated to a tour of the vessel.

It was then time for dinner. They were welcomed by the crew and head chef to a delicious lobster and steak dinner. No one spoke while they ate, but they all seemed full enough with each others company.

When they were finished, Ilsa got up. "If you will all excuse me I am going to retire for the evening."

Chance looked at her puzzled and wondered if her energy was drained during their beach excursion. She was gone before he could get up to escort her to her room.

Connie looked at both of the men with some hesitation. "This yacht was the last gift that Marshall gave to her before he died. It seems silly but she is still very emotional over him. I think once she rests she will be fine. Goodnight gentlemen."

Connie got up and left the room. Chance and Guerrero just stared at each other for a moment. "Well dude I think its naptime. Take it easy."

"Later." Chance got up to leave. He wasn't all that tired so he decided to take a walk on the deck. He embraced the cool salty air around him as he made his way around the ship. When he finally reached the other side he spotted Ilsa. She apparently decided she wasn't tired either. He walked up to her but she didn't make eye contact.

Chance inhaled deeply. "Nice night huh?"

Ilsa just shook her head. "Marshall and I used to walk out here every night before bed. It's would help me to sleep sometimes."

Her mood started to change and she clinched the side rail. "I can't seem to understand why Marshall did what he did. I loved that man with everything in me and never once strayed away." 

Chance waited for her to finish. "Ilsa sometimes people can't grasp the fact that others love them and care very deeply for them. I know you loved Marshall but maybe he was not the right man for you."

She turned to him. "Just what are you implying?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing Ilsa. I'm just saying some men out there feel the need to have a beautiful woman on their arm but care nothing for them. 

Her face started to flush and she scowled at him. "Are you saying that I was nothing more than an object? You know nothing about my marriage to Marshall Christopher. You seem to be able to read people so well and yet you failed in your own relationship!"

Chance just stared in awe at her. He was a bit hurt at her word choice and wondered why her mood had changed so drastically. Was it Marshall's gift to her? Was it the romance that was budding between the two of them? Or was it something else she wasn't willing to admit? All he knew was that her blood was hitting a boiling point. As caring and as gentle as he was, he decided that backing down from her wasn't going to be his choice tonight. He faced her eye to eye and huffed.

"You know something Ilsa, it has been quite some time since he died, and I understand your pain. Trust me I do. But it doesn't give you the right to bring up my own past to use against me! You seem to think that you are the only person in this world who has had a broken heart. Well here's a newsflash, I was hurt too and so were a lot of other people. Maybe if you decided to bring down your brick wall and let someone else in, you might get past him!"

Ilsa wasn't sure how to react to that comment, so it was her turn to decide that she wasn't going to back down either. "For your information Mr. Chance, no one ever said you had to be that someone. In fact, you don't need to be around me at all. But you take it upon yourself to always RESCUE me from anything that might harm me. For Christ's sake you ran behind my car for how long? You act like this macho man wherever you go!"

Chance wasn't going to let her off the hook so easily. "Then if I'm such a burden to you, then why don't you go work on your foundation elsewhere? You have planes and boats and cars that can take you to the ends of the earth and yet you stick around. For what?"

Ilsa remembered back to when she almost terminated their working relationship. "Now that I think about it, I should have let you stay in South America instead of coming after you. You challenged and disrespected me. Now you are standing here telling me you are some relationship interpreter."

"Ilsa it wasn't my intention to come out here and argue with you. I don't know what your problem is, but your attitude in the last three minutes has been obnoxious."

"Obnoxious? You of all people! How about we just raise the anchor and take you back to shore. Then you can get on a plane and go home where you can sulk until someone actually cares."

Chance had no idea where that comment came from. "Sulk huh? Marshall screwed around and hurt you. Now he's dead. I think you've been doing a lot more sulking since we have met than I have."

Ilsa pursed her lips and stepped into his personal space. "Fuck you Christopher Chance." She turned and starting walking away.

He yelled to her. "Only in your dreams Mrs. Pucci could you be so lucky."

She turned back to look at him. "The only reason you are in existence is because of me. Just remember that when you are sitting in your warehouse alone in the dark with no one who cares. I gave you the opportunity to redeem yourself like you had hoped to do. You obviously failed."

Chance didn't say a word. He just watched her walk away into the darkness. He stood outside for what seemed like an eternity until the cold night air finally forced him inside. He knew that sleep wasn't going to come any time soon. He laid down on his bed and wondered why she had gotten so angry. It didn't seem like her to be like this. He knew something else was bothering her but knew not to push too soon.

Ilsa went into her room and slammed the door shut. She spoke aloud. "That man has such nerve. Such an arrogant asshole. I can't beli-." She stopped suddenly. She realized that she was pulling thoughts out of the air to justify why she blew up at Chance. The truth of the matter was that she said some things that probably went a bit overboard. She laid down and pulled the covers over her head knowing sleep wasn't going to happen.

The next morning Ilsa got up. She had a horrible headache from the evening's events and was hoping some yoga and exercise would help her. She got dressed and took a few aspirin before heading to the boat's gym.

Chance rolled out of his bed and looked outside. The sun was shining bright again and the day was looking to be positive. The downside was that his attitude was quite the opposite. The night's events came back to him and he shook his head. Normally he would be hitting the pavement racking up ten or fifteen miles, but his only option today was hitting a treadmill.

Ilsa made her way to the gym. It was early enough that she wouldn't run into Guerrero or Connie, and hopefully not Chance. She walked down the long corridor to the end of the ship and when she turned the corner she was stopped dead in her tracks. There at the door stood Chance about to open the door. She just looked at him and motioned her hand. "After you." She didn't care if she had to share the room with him, but she wasn't going to miss her morning routine. It would make her feel much better. As for Chance, he just wanted to sweat everything out.

He walked in and held the door for her. As angry as he was, he was still chivalrous. It was something that that never changed in him. Ilsa walked over to a table that held various pieces of yoga equipment. She picked up a mat and a few blocks. She normally didn't listen to music when she exercised, but she didn't want Chance to have any opportunity to talk to her. She put a CD in the player and turned up the volume. Janelle Monae's Peachtree Blues came on. Ilsa closed her eyes and started stretching.

Chance watched her the whole time. Luckily she never made eyes contact with the large mirror in front of her or she would have caught him looking. He was dying to know what was going through her head. He wanted so badly to understand why they were seething at each other. But there wasn't much opportunity for that. He walked over to the treadmill and turned it on. He was an athletic man. It showed in his muscular body and how he took care of it. He turned the speed up higher than he normally ran to ease some of the tension that he was feeling.

They each went about their business with no words exchanged. When Chance was done he walked over and grabbed a towel. Ilsa had her eyes closed the entire time. She looked completely relaxed and engaged in her session. He wiped off his face.

At that same moment she happened to break out of her personal la-la land and looked at him. "That's my towel."

He finished wiping his face and tossed it to her. "Sorry…here you go." She caught the towel and threw it on the floor. "For your information there are a million and one towels aboard this vessel. Why on earth did you have to use mine?"

Chance raised an eyebrow. "I can see someone got up on the wrong side of the bed."

She leered at him. "Well I sure did considering I got zero sleep and woke up with a headache."

Chance rolled his eyes. "Oh I bet your body just got brutalized without its beauty rest."

Ilsa shot right back. "You know Mr. Chance, in your world you think your body and soul get hurt all the time." Just then, she crossed her hands at the bottom of her shirt. She started pulling it up then turned around. "Remember this?" She pointed to the 9mm gunshot wounds she got as a child. "You think you are so bruised and broken."

Chance was completely caught off guard but decided that he might win this round. He pulled his own shirt off and pointed to his abdomen. "Well your little excursion with Claypool, nearly got me blown up…and this." He was showing her where a piece of shrapnel hit him when he detonated the barstool bomb.

"You know something, you always make it a point to one up me on everything." She dropped her hip hugging yoga pants and showed him the back of her thigh. Chance was slightly taken aback by her choice of undergarments. A pair of black lace panties. Bravo Mrs. Pucci. "THAT….was from our little jump out of a four story window."

He opened his mouth in shock. "Well I saved you didn't' I? Besides-" It was Chance's turn again. He dropped his running shorts to reveal a form fitting pair of boxer briefs. Black. He pulled the right leg of his briefs up a bit to reveal an old bruise on his thigh. "Well THAT…was from your La….WHATEVER opera and I had to fight a group of idiots…and I don't even like the opera!"

Just then the door opened. Guerrero poked his head in and was a little stunned. There stood Ilsa and Chance. Ilsa, clad in nothing but her underwear and bra, and Chance in only his boxer briefs. He spoke cautiously. "Uh..is the gym available?"

They had both looked over at Guerrero and simultaneously yelled out. "NO!"

They stared each other down while they put their clothes back on. Ilsa spoke up first. "You always want to play the pity party when things don't go your way. You're such a child!"

"Well you're the same way!"

She wondered to herself if she was acting that way. The sad part of the entire past few hours was that they cared for each other. But Ilsa was still grieving. "I am telling the captain to take the ship into port. You can find your own way home from there!"

"Gladly. Maybe Ill just swim to shore instead…it will save me the trouble from dealing with you!"

Ilsa glared as she walked to the door. "From now until then..stay away from me."

"Not a problem."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

SAVORY SNACKING 5

Ilsa stormed out of the gym and back to her room. It took her a few moments to compose herself and ease her tension. She wanted to say so many words to him, and yet at the same time, she wanted him to disappear from the face of he earth. Her mind was racing to find answers. She knew there was more to her newly found distance from Chance.

Across the ship, Chance paced the floor. He usually gave people the benefit of the doubt. He respected their views and opinions until they gave him a reason not to. Ilsa was giving him that reason. He wondered why she was growling at him for the past 24 hours. They had said some things to each other that were borderline distasteful. He wondered why they could share the moment in the shower, and now, he was possibly on his way out.

Ilsa's phone rang. She grabbed it in haste and barked out. "Hello!" Connie answered timidly on the other end. "Ilsa, it's Connie. I was hoping you would join me on the deck for breakfast. Is everything ok?"

Ilsa felt a little bad for being so harsh when she answered. "I'm sorry Connie. I didn't sleep much. Yes I would love to have breakfast. I will meet you in a few minutes." Ilsa hung up the phone and closed her eyes. Maybe some food would relax her.

Connie met Ilsa at the back of the ship. Breakfast had already been spread lavishly on the table for them when she arrived. Connie took off her sunglasses so that Ilsa could see the concern in her eyes. Ilsa didn't oblige because she felt much safer behind hers. She was a strong woman. One of character and poise. Dignity and self confidence. But even she couldn't hide the puffiness from apparent crying.

Connie frowned. "Ilsa….Guerrero told me what happened this morning. Is everything okay?"

She just looked at her. She finally removed her sunglasses to reveal the redness of the nights crying. "No Connie." She sobbed a bit. "Everything is not okay."

Connie got up and sat in the chair beside her. She placed her arms around her shoulders and Ilsa leaned in. She started crying harder this time. Connie rubbed her back. "It's him isn't it?" Ilsa shook her head without saying a word. "I can't imagine Mr. Chance wanting to hurt you, so I have to wonder if your word exchange may have been a little beyond unpleasant."

Ilsa looked at her with some surprise. "How did you know?"

"Guerrero could hear you both yelling at each other this morning before he made it to the door of the gym. He was pretty concerned about the both of you." Connie made Ilsa sit up. "You know something? It's easier to push someone away than to admit you care deeply for them. In fact it's scary."

Connie must have been inside of Ilsa's brain because she knew exactly what Ilsa was experiencing. "Connie, I am so afraid of that man and what he is capable of. He has given back the lives of so many people and at the same time is so gentle and caring. I feel like I can't read him enough to be unafraid." She was crying heavily now.

Connie rubbed her back again. "Ilsa….you're forgetting that he gave you back your life as well." Connie was right. Ilsa was a client before the benefactor and Chance treated her with the same respect he extended to all of his clients. Only this time, he fell just as hard.

At first he only treated her as a client. Especially after Katherine. But after she extended her wallet and heart, he discovered something he hadn't expected. "Why don't we finish eating and relax in the Jacuzzi for a bit. My workout with Mr. Guerrero was-" Connie stopped when Ilsa looked at her in shock. She blushed and closed her eyes. Ilsa just smiled. "Ill see you in a bit Connie."

The main deck was decorated with colorful lounge chairs and tables. One deck up sat a huge Jacuzzi overlooking the entire front of the ship. Guerrero and Chance pushed away the chairs and tables so they could toss the football around.

"I'm glad Ilsa doesn't know how to use a gun. I'm pretty sure she would have shot you and tossed your body overboard."

Chance looked at him and shook his head. "Thanks buddy. I'm glad you're concerned. You know, if Ilsa has such a problem with me, then why does she keep me around? She could hire a million bodyguards if she wanted to and the best arsenal of weapons money could buy, but yet she thinks for some reason I can protect her from the cruel dark world."

Guerrero caught the ball and held it. "Dude, you really have no idea how to read chicks do you?" Chance looked at him puzzled. "I mean if Ilsa really wanted to be an absentee boss she would have been. I think she genuinely wants to be a part of the team, but you are getting in the way of that. If you think about it, Winston and I don't want her in the field because she's an amateur. YOU don't want her in the field…because you're concerned for her safety. Does that about sum it up?"

Chance knew he was right. Before he could answer, the women rounded the corner laughing at one another. Connie nodded to the men while Ilsa looked on. They put their things down and climbed into the Jacuzzi.

The guys resumed tossing the football. They had lengthened their throwing range to stretch their arms a bit. Guerrero was getting fed up with his irrational nonsense so he took it upon himself to change the game. He told Chance to go long for a toss. When he threw the ball, Chance missed the catch. It took an odd bounce and landed directly in the Jacuzzi with a splash. Guerrero yelled out. "Sorry guys!"

The women looked at each other. "Ilsa, I wasn't a tomboy growing up. If I throw that thing back it is likely to end up in the ocean." Connie looked at Chance. "Mr. Chance, I must admit that I was not a sports star growing up."

Ilsa looked back at Connie. "If you think for some reason I will entertain the thought of helping him, you're a little crazy."

Chance realized the ball wasn't going to walk into his hand on its own. "Connie, would you mind asking Mrs. Pucci…if it's not too much trouble…to throw the ball to me?"

Ilsa wished she had the arm of an NFL quarterback. But alas she didn't. But she had enough anger from his little dig, that she picked it up and launched it at him. Chance caught the ball with ease and smiled at how angry she got from having to throw it back to him in the first place.

"Thank you." He felt victorious for some reason. He muttered under his breath. "Looks like that round belongs to me."

After some time Connie noticed the men getting tired. She yelled down to them. "Gentlemen, care to join us and relax a bit?"

Ilsa shot a death glare at her. "Connie, what are you doing?" She whispered.

"Oh you both need to stop acting so childish. We are in Venice on a gorgeous million-dollar yacht and all you two can do is act like a couple of 5 year olds. I for one, will enjoy this trip and aim to make it enjoyable for our guests."

Ilsa never got an opportunity to respond. The men had walked up to the edge of the Jacuzzi. They began to remove their shirts and Ilsa looked up behind her sunglasses. "There's a shirt policy in here gentlemen." Guerrero stopped taking his shirt off for fear of certain death from Ilsa. But Chance, in true fashion finished removing his. In fact he made it a point to do it slowly just to annoy her.

He tossed it aside and looked at her. "So there's a shirt policy but no midriff policy? Seems a little unfair don't you think Guerrero?" She didn't acknowledge his comment. Guerrero just waded over beside Connie. Ilsa again had decided that her choice of swimwear was suitable in her opinion. It was in fact another skimpy bikini, but Chance had a problem having to look at it. It made it much harder to fight her. They all sat in silence for a few moments until Connie broke the silence. "So, who's up for a shopping day in Venice?" Guerrero nodded.

Ilsa looked up from the magazine she was reading. "We can't Connie we're leaving. Mr. Chance has work to tend to back home."

He wasn't backing down. "Connie, I would be more than delighted to clear my schedule for some shopping."

Before anyone else could answer Connie chimed back in. "Good. Well I am going to get ready. Mr. Guerrero would you please notify the captain that we need to head into port?" He shook his head and helped her out of the Jacuzzi. Chance watched them both walk away and turned back to Ilsa.

She never looked up from her magazine. "Are you going to ignore me for the rest of this trip?" Chance knew she was uncomfortable with only the two of them there alone. He wondered if this was as setup.

Ilsa slowly lowered her magazine. "Mr. Chance, if it was your goal to drive me absolutely insane on this much needed getaway, you have accomplished it in good form. You win. Now leave me alone." She went back to reading her magazine.

"No." He just looked at her and waited for a reaction. She didn't move. "If you would stop being so cold to me, and help me to understand, then I will think about hopping a plane home and leaving you alone."

This time she put down the magazine and stared at him. He knew that she could single handedly bring him to his knees with mere words. But he felt confident. He waded closer to her and reached to pull the sunglasses from her face. He was shocked to see what was behind them.

Ilsa had only a small amount of makeup on. Of course she never needed it in his opinion, but he knew she would probably never leave home without it. Her eyes were red and puffy. No doubt from crying and lack of sleep. She just looked like she ran a marathon and never rested or took a drink.

He could feel his heart start to crack. He was not happy at all to see her in this condition. It reminded them both of that night with Hector Lopez. "You've been crying…why?"

She lowered her gaze. "Thank you for stating the obvious. I got into an argument with a jerk last night and this morning. It wasn't very pleasant." She turned to get out of the Jacuzzi. She wasn't ready to face him right now.

As she took the first step out she felt a pair of hands grab her waist. She was caught off balance and fell backwards…into his lap. With his back to him and her legs floating, there wasn't much she could do.

He wrapped his arms around her tighter in case she decided not to face him. He drew her ear to his lips and whispered. "Tell me who this jerk is, and I will kick his ass." The air from his breath made her shudder. He placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck. "I swear he will never hurt you again." He continued placing kisses down her neck and at the top of her back.

He let go of her and brought his hands up to gently massage her back and shoulders. She lowered her head and relaxed further into him. He placed his arms gently around her waist again and laid his head on her back. "Tell me Ilsa, how did he hurt you?"

She took a deep breath and exhaled. "He didn't hurt me…yet. I am afraid of him and afraid he might hurt me. I feel like I found someone who will protect me, but I am so afraid I will lose him. He doesn't have the conventional 9 to 5 job. That's what hurts. Knowing I might wake up one day and he won't be there. I was hurt once before, and I didn't like it."

He raised his head from her back and turned her around so that she was now straddling him. She was forced to look into his eyes and understand how genuine he was. Her hands made their way around his neck. This was the closest they had ever felt to each other. No clothing separated them…except the thin material of their swimsuits. She could feel her stomach muscles against his now clenching abdomen. The man was in shape she had to admit. But it was a totally different story feeling him against her like this.

"Ilsa Pucci. I can't change what Marshall did to you. If he were here now, I would do whatever I could to make him suffer for hurting you. I am not asking you to get over this anytime soon. I know it's hard. But I want you to at least understand that I will not now…or ever hurt you like he did. I won't ever walk away from you. If my job is too much, then tell me. I will quit tomorrow. If that is what would make you happy I will hang up my gun right now. But if I don't, you have to understand there are risks we all take. Winton, Ames, me, Guerrero, you and even the people you love…like Connie. But it will always be a calculated risk. I would never hurt you."

Ilsa started gently sobbing, because the man she cared about was pouring his heart out to her. When he was finally finished he sighed in dejection. He felt like she didn't understand. "Do you want me to leave?"

Ilsa placed her forehead against his and they closed their eyes. After a moment she stopped crying and looked at him. "Just promise me you will never hurt me."

Chance stared hard into her eyes. "I said I would never let you go and I didn't. And I will never hurt you. I swear." With that he kissed her. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip and begged entrance inside of her mouth. She parted it slightly. He hesitated a bit to make sure he wasn't moving too fast. He didn't want to send the wrong message, but she wanted it just as bad as she did.

She ran her fingers through his hair. That drove him crazy. He loved her finely manicured fingernails in his mussed hair. He intensified his hold on her and ran his hands up and down her toned back. Their tongues danced around and played in each other's mouths.

Chance slowly raised his hand to the strings of her bikini top. He knew this adventure might be risky, but he thought...what the hell. He respected this woman more than any other woman he knew. She had more dignity then he had ever imagined a person having and more respectable then he had ever known anyone to be.

He gently pulled the ties apart and pulled her top down. It floated carelessly in the water while they continued kissing. He moved his hand up her sides and gently caressed them. She inhaled at the thought of his hands moving higher. She couldn't help but wonder how he felt everywhere else. But for now, it took everything in her body to focus on not going crazy.

They continued to caress and kiss each other. The concerns of last night and this morning began to wash away. Ilsa kissed up and down his neck. Chance nipped at hers and it sent her into a frenzy. His hands started to move higher up her sides. She could feel her body tensing as they rose. Before he reached his ultimate goal, the sound of automatic gunfire rang out.

Instinctively going into protection mode, Chance broke them apart and wrapped his arms around her. They looked out over the water to see two small speedboats heading towards the yacht.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

**Author's Notes:**

**1. Let me start by saying that this chapter should never have taken this long. **

**2. VENICEIT gave me some serious motivation to finish this. Thank you. **

**3. My knee is getting better. **

**4. I proofread this a few times, but there may be some serious typos….I mean come on….it was waaaayyyy past my bedtime when I looked it over.**

**5. It's 53 degrees in my house…no really…it is. My thermostat says so. It is freezing!**

**6. My newest favorite song is "PAPI" by . It is spicy as hell!**

**7.I let my boyfriend read my story. I am sure he thinks I am insane now **

**8. "Love Lost" by the Temper Trap is a great song too. Very fitting for the episode.**

**9. I apparently struggle to write action…but love writing romance.**

**10. I (against my better judgment) finally watched Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love on a friend's recommendation. Indira is my new favorite actress, however after that movie I have a different outlook. It is pretty racy. Therefore I am sending an open letter to Ms. Varma about the content and how I am now scarred for life. If in the event I would get to meet her, I don't know if I could shake her hand. I saw where they were in that movie!**

**SAVORY SNACKING 6**

As the gunfire drew closer, Ilsa began to panic. "What is that?"

Chance grabbed his shirt from the side of the Jacuzzi and gave it to her. "I don't know. Put this on. We gotta get below deck fast."

Ilsa hastily put on his shirt and he helped her out. They could see two speedboats heading their direction as they ran around the ship. Chance could hear Guerrero yelling his name. They all caught up to each other. "Ilsa do you have any weapons on board?" She shook her head. "Dammit! Okay everyone below deck now!"

Chance could hear grappling hooks slamming against the side rails. They headed towards the captain's galley that had a bolted door. He silently hoped there was something there he could use as a weapon. They could hear yelling and screaming from the deck. Random gunfire rang out. As they reached the galley, Chance spotted an emergency fire hose and ax attached to the wall. He broke the glass and pulled the ax out.

A tall man with dark hair and a suit raised himself over the side rail. He was followed by five other men. He yelled out to his crew. "I want this ship searched top to bottom! I want all communications cut off immediately! Now move!" The men scattered and began to work. One man stayed behind." What should we do if we find her Mr. Valentino?" He looked at him and just smiled.

Guerrero fussed with the radio. "Chance, I think they already cut off the radios. That's our only communication."

Ilsa asked hesitantly. "Chance who could they be?" He just looked at her. "I don't know. All I know is that they have us outmanned, outgunned and cornered."

Connie spoke up. "Well what do we do?"

Chance looked at her. "I'm working on that."

They could hear the men heading down the hallway towards their room. Chance and Guerrero backed the women into a corner. Without warning, there was gunfire at the door. Chance held the ax high, preparing for whatever would come through. One of the men kicked open the door, and burst in with his gun held high. "If anyone moves, you're all dead!" Ilsa and Connie didn't move.

Chance stepped forward. "What do you want?"

Before any of the men answered, Jeffery stepped forward. "Correction, its not WHAT I want, rather WHO I want."

Guerrero interjected. "Who the hell are you?"

The man took a few more steps forward and looked at Ilsa. "Mrs. Pucci, why don't you tell your guests who I am."

Ilsa looked puzzled for a moment until it hit her. She said with a fire in her voice. "His name is Jeffery Valentino. He was a member of our foundation until he decided to skim from the top. Our donors were not too happy, so Marshall fired him when he found out."

A snide smile spread across Jeffery's face. "It would seem even a billionaire's money can't be missed. Ilsa since Marshall is now gone, you may need some assistance spending your wealth. You'll be joining me from here on in."

Chance stepped in front of Ilsa. "I don't think so."

Jeffery's eyebrows raised in a mocking concern. "Oh, and who might you be? Her new bodyguard?" His men laughed at Chance but he didn't flinch.

"Yeah, something like that."

Jeffery stopped laughing and spoke in a serious tone. "Well Mr. Bodyguard, it may be time for a new client. Mrs. Pucci will no longer be needing your services."

Chance tightened his grip on the axe. "I said she wasn't going anywhere."

Jeffery looked over at one of his men and motioned for his gun. "Here's what we are going to do. I will give you until the count of three to walk over here Ilsa. If you aren't over here by then, you will be three colleagues short."

Connie stepped out. "Jeffery just tell us what you want and you will have it, I swear."

He shook his head. "One." Chance and Guerrero held steady. "Two." Without any notice, he fired at Chance. He shot him in his right shoulder. Ilsa screamed when he went down. Jeffery's facial expression turned more serious as he watched Ilsa hover over Chance. He was writhing in pain.

"I don't have all day Ilsa." She leaned over Chance with fear and hurt in her eyes. She didn't know what to say or do. "Mr. Chance. I…I'm sor…" Chance held his shoulder in immense pain. "It's okay Ilsa."

Jeffery yelled. "Three!" Ilsa stood up and shouted. "Alright Jeffery enough! I'll go with you." Chance grabbed at Guerrero to help him up. "Ilsa no!"

She turned to Chance. "Stop Christopher." She looked into Jeffery's cold dark eyes. "He won't kill me."

He smiled something sinister at her. "Take her out of here." Chance pleaded one last time with her. "Ilsa…please…." She turned back and walked over to Chance and leaned into his ear. "Live today…to fight tomorrow." She kissed him on the cheek and went back to Jeffery's men.

Guerrero looked at Chance. "She's right dude. We'll get her back. "Jeffery turned to leave. "Take care of them." Ilsa screamed. "Jeffery NO!"

Three of the men grabbed them and began binding their hands behind their backs. Another opened a backpack and pulled out three white blocks. "Million dollar boat….C4…a lovely combination!" They placed several charges in the room. "Before they left one man turned around with a timer. "How about 2 minutes? Long enough to think about dying!"

When the men left, Guerrero began working his way onto his feet. "Chance where's that ax?" Chance nodded over to the corner where it fell. Guerrero ran his hands over the blade to free himself. He then freed Connie and Chance.

"Mr. Chance, what are they going to do with Ilsa?" Chance moved slowly. "I don't know Connie, but we need to get out of here first." They made their way up to the deck. There were several blocks of C4 placed along the deck and railings. Chance stopped when he noticed a timer.

"Shit! Guerrero thirty five seconds!" Guerrero yelled back. "I'm on it dude!" He ran to the end of the ship and pushed open a small closet. He pulled out an inflatable boat. On his way back, he pulled the strings on the boat and threw it into the water.

"Ready?" Chance looked at him with a painful smile then looked at Connie. "How about a little swim?" She hesitated. "That is a very long way to the wat-" Chance yelled. "Guerrero NOW!" They all hoisted over the side of the rail and jumped as the Pucci 7 exploded.

**Somewhere in the sky**

Jeffery handed a glass of water to Ilsa. She took a drink. "Well Mrs. Pucci, seems like old times. Me doing all the work while you sit around." Ilsa looked at him with a scowl. "Jeffery, why?"

"My dear Ilsa, you are a rich widow, and I am a single young man that needs a lift in life. And not just in the wallet. I have watched you for far too long. By the way, the drugs should be taking affect soon."

He laughed at the sight of her helplessness. He had spiked her water with a narcotic so that she couldn't fight him. When she finally passed out he lifted her up and took her to the bedroom in the back of the plane.

He threw her onto the bed and stared for a moment. "I didn't even need to drug you, I could have just let you fight me." He snickered and began unbuttoning his shirt. He climbed over top of her and leaned down to breathe in her scent.

She smelled very feminine and yet he could sense that another man had been around her. Almost as if he was with her in that very room. He brushed the thought out of his head and leaned in once more to take advantage of her.

Before his lips parted, the pilot came over the loud speaker. "Valentino, get up here." Rolling his eyes, he removed himself form over top of her. He buttoned his shirt and looked back, "There will be plenty more time to take care of you my dear. I'll show you I'm more of a man than you think." He smiled and closed the door.

Opening the cockpit he looked at the pilot. "Whats wrong?"

The pilot pointed to the monitors "We should be landing soon."

Jeffery nodded and strapped himself into the copilots seat and prepared to land.

**Back in San Francisco**

Chance had been lying awake in his bed for the majority of the day when they returned. The rest of the crew made their way to the warehouse to join him. One of Connie's personal physicians had tended to his gunshot wound while in Venice, but now he knew that he wouldn't rest until he found Ilsa. Sure maybe he liked her and maybe he was falling for her. Either way, he wanted to be sure that things would go as planned.

Winston was getting the information on Jeffery. After some time had passed there were finally answers. "Chance, it looks like they are heading for Finland. I got some news on this Jeffery fellow. He looks pretty bad, so be ready to get on a plane to go after her."

Chance gingerly got up and began packing his things.

Guerrero and Ames headed out as well to begin preparation. That was the one thing Chance loved about his team. They never hesitated.

**Hanger 10- Connie Pucci's private jet**

Connie ran up to Chance and threw her arms around him. He understood the fear and concern in her eyes. "Mr. chance, please bring Ilsa back home. I will not sleep until she is here again."

He placed his hand on her shoulders "Connie I promise, I will do everything it takes to get her back."

Connie hugged him once more. Ames, Guerrero and Winston walked up behind him and Connie looked them all up and down. "I don't think Ilsa could have asked for a better group of individuals to assist her. Please come back safe. All of you."

They knew it could be their last meeting. Guerrero ended the line, and before he walked up to the first step, Connie ran up to him. "Mr. Guerrero-" she dropped a quick kiss on his lips. " Come back alive." Guerrero wasn't sure how to react. The team saw it; Connie's bodyguard saw it and he didn't know how to react.

Finally Chance broke him out of his dream state. "Guerrero let's go!" Guerrero walked up the stairs and waved back to Connie.

Normally, Chance would be enjoying his private flights, but not this time. His only concern was for Ilsa. Was she hurt, was she being tortured, was she dead? Just then, Winston sat down beside him and dropped a folder on the table.

"Thanks to an insider I got the scoop on this Jeffery guy. Sure he's done some charity work…for himself. He has been skimming money from donors for several years to fund his little army of drug lords. No one knew anything because he had an inside man in the Finnish police. That's why nothing came up. When they send reports to people flying all over the world, they conveniently forgot to add that. Chance, I don't want you to lose it, but this guy has been wanted for murder, money laundering and ra-" Winston stopped. He didn't think chance needed to hear that.

"Winston, tell me we have eyes on the ground in Finland and an endless supply of firepower."

"Hey man, I know the drill when it comes to preparation." Winston smiled a bit and that soothed Chance. "You need to get some rest man. From what I read, Valentino's group makes Hector Lopez's entourage look like kittens." Winston got up and let him lay back. After a few moments he dozed off.

"Mr. chance, are you asking me to stay?"

"Ilsa look, I think you're a strong woman and you deserve some time to yourself, but I don't want you to go." He placed his arms around her and leaned in further. The air outside was chilly and her hands were settled between them. She placed them further into his jacket to get warmer.

"Christopher, I kissed you and I was not in the right state of mind. It wasn't something that should have happened"

"So you're saying it was a mistake?" he looked disappointed.

"I'm saying… Oh I don't know what I'm saying. All I know is that it's not good to mix business with pleasure. I wasn't happy after finding out about Marshall and it hurt." She lowered her gaze away from him. Chance lifted her chin and forced her to look at him. By this time he could see the tears starting to form in her eyes. "Ilsa, look at me and tell me you didn't want to kiss me and I'll walk away right now." She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. She stared even harder at him and he pulled her even closer.

Deep down, Ilsa wanted to be loved and cared for by a man with the power of Christopher Chance. She wanted someone who would make the demons go away. She wanted…. him. He wouldn't lie or cheat or steal from her let alone break her heart. "Mr. chance." She closed her eyes once more "I-"

"Chance!" he felt a punch in his arm. "Chance get up we're landing!" Ames gave him another punch.

"Geez Ames a light shake would have done just fine." She rolled her eyes." Yeah right, you were in la-la land for some time there my friend. Thinking about the boss lady no doubt." He wasn't upset over the comment.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

**Author's notes:**

**Remember that open letter to Indira Varma….well…here it is.**

**Dear Ms. Varma,**

** Let me start by saying you are now my favorite actress. It used to be Gillian Anderson. I don't really get into Hollywood all that much, but when I see good acting I can appreciate it. Apparently British acting. As a theatre major and aspiring writer (fanfiction and possibly a movie script) I can appreciate well thought out talent. Human Target was a wonderful endeavor into non-craptastic television. The X-files was my absolute favorite show and I miss it. Until HT, there was NOTHING on my TV. It gave me a reason to sit down and actually pay attention to my big flat screen (that I paid entirely too much for) television. With that said, I would like to discuss a tiny issue.**

** I heard about your movie Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love and I did a little research. I came to find out that it was a movie about love and (dare I say) sex and positions that normal people like myself shouldn't try without stretching first. I hesitated for quite some time. I wasn't ready for the movie. But with some convincing from friends (apparently not good friends because they said I should stop being a baby and watch it), I took the bait. **

** First off, you weren't just naked…you were BUTT ASS NAKED! No wait….I think you wore some necklaces or something. The awkward sex scene in the beginning was…well…awkward. Then everything after that was…well…sex. I had to cover my eyes…and my little doggies' eyes. But all in all, the movie was well worth watching. However, this may change the dynamic if I ever got the opportunity to meet you. So, in order for you to have the honor of getting a handshake from me (because I know where your hands have been now) you would have to agree to the following:**

**1. Keep your clothes on.**

**2. Ask FOX to bring back Human Target.**

**3. Be a Miracle Whip fan and not Mayonnaise.**

**4. Read fanfiction…. It's the only thing we have to hold on to the show…. that and pictures of Mark Valley. **

**5. Get Mark Valley's phone number….for me. **

**6. Keep your clothes on. **

**7. When you are visiting the great U.S. of A., please don't drive in the passing lane. It's a passing lane for a reason. Not that you are a violator…. I'm just making the point. **

**8. Be a fan of Cool Whip…NOT Redi-Whip…the consistency is all wrong with that stuff. The Holiday's are upon is...so this one is especially important. **

**9. Not be a fan of anything related to Black Friday. Why? Because there is no such thing as a discount on Black Friday. Why? Don't ask…I just know. I am a MAC fan….no discount. Panasonic…no discount. Dog food (my puppies have allergies and have to have the extremely expensive dog food with no wheat)…no discount. You get the point…..the things you really need or want…are never discounted. Except that $20 DVD player Wal-Mart sells….and I only say that because I needed one for my spare bedroom…that I don't use. You get the point.**

**10. No matter what happens, no matter what role you take….keep your clothes on. And should I have the opportunity to meet you (you are pretty awesome) please wash your hands first. Thank you..that is all. And please get me Mr. Valley's digits.**

SAVORY SNACKING 7

When they exited the airport, there was a limo waiting for them.

"Mr. Winston!" Yelled a large Finnish man. "So happy you are here to see my wonderful country and all the perks it has to offer."

Franz was a formidable man. He could probably kill a human with one had, or better yet his fingers. He had been a friend with Winston since he went rogue, and was always able to get international information on a whim.

"This must be your team." Franz reached out and hugged each one of them. Ames swore she had a collapsed lung when he was done.

"Please get in and meet some of my coworkers. They are proud to serve you on your vacation to Finland." They entered the limo and looked around. Each man had an automatic rifle in hand and two side arms.

Franz opened a briefcase and distributed information to the team.

"Ok here's the deal. Valentino's compound is heavily guarded so we will have to go in covertly. No parties, no meetings, nothing."

Chance was only half listening. He heard enough to know that the job wouldn't be easy, and enough to be worrying what was happening to Ilsa.

He finally looked up. "Ok so what's our plan?"

Franz studied the map a bit more. "Well I am hoping we can get past the alarm system, which consists of cameras, infrared and dogs. Not to mention a lot of guns."

Chance laughed. "Sounds simple."

Franz smiled. "I like this guy Winston. Ok then, lets get started on a plan."

ILSA'S CELL

Ilsa slowly rose from her passed out state. Her head was throbbing and she had no idea where she was. She looked around her and all she could see were dark walls a small window and a door. She struggled to get up and realized she had one wrist handcuffed to the bed she was sleeping on. Afraid and having no idea what was going to happen to her next, she started to struggle to get the handcuff off.

As her heart rate begin to rise, a woman burst thru the door and began yelling at her in Finnish.

She raised a hand and pleaded. "Please. I don't know what you are saying, I can't understand you!"

The woman spoke slowly to Ilsa. "You bring life in compound!"

Ilsa had no idea what she meant, but she did know she needed help…and fast. She yelled out. "Please…I need to talk to someone!"

Ilsa fell back onto the bed and tried to catch her breath. The door opened again and Jeffery walked in. Her eyes immediately went dark and cold. She pulled at her binds and struggled as he moved closer. "Ilsa, do not struggle, it will only make your stay worse."

"Why do you have me here Jeffery?" she cried out.

"Ilsa, don't you get it? I told you before. My plan is simple. All you have to do is stay locked up in the cell, until you decide to spend the rest of your life with me, and take care of everything I ask. Consider it a forced marriage. It is legal in some countries you know." He waved his finger at her in a scolding manner.

"People will know I'm gone Jeffery. They will send help."

"Oh no my dear. It is all taken care of. Just in case you don't want the position, I can always ask Connie. Not to mention, your team has no clue where to find you. Consider this early retirement!"

He chuckled and moved closer, but far enough away so that she could not reach him. He whispered. "I didn't get to complete what I started on the plane. So you may want to keep your strength." He sneered at her and walked back out of the cell.

Ilsa tried harder this time to get free. She didn't want to be his personal asset in any way. She hoped and prayed silently that Chance would figure out where she was. And fast.

FRANZ'S HEADQUARTERS

Chance was pacing the floor trying to figure out what to do in order to get Ilsa out. "Franz, I don't think we have that much time. Ilsa said this man wouldn't kill her, but I don't want her to be there any longer than necessary. If there isn't a way to sneak in, then I will go through the front door."

Franz looked at Chance and then at Winston. "Mr. Chance, I don't think that is the best idea. This guy is ruthless and doesn't mind taking a few lives."

Guerrero chose that time to interject. "Look. I know that this is our first meeting and all, but I think that Chance has a good idea of what's going on. Franz, if you can at the very least hack into their mainframe, we can take it from there. Of course some of your men and weapons would surely help us out."

Franz was impressed at how their team operated. It was his first time working with Winston since he started with his new team. He respected the camaraderie and friendship, and how they could so easily agree on most things. The only thing they didn't agree on was letting Ames take the lead. They respected her as a coworker, but underneath, they didn't want her to get hurt. Their job was still male oriented. Not because they wanted to make the rules, but rather they were genuinely concerned for the safety of the female aspect.

Franz broke out of his sentimental moment and got up. "Alright gentleman…and ladies." Ames smiled at his comment. "Mr. Chance will take the lead on this. Tell us what you need and we will comply."

Chance stood up to join Franz. "Well folks…ever hear of an Aunt Patty?"

JEFFERY'S COMPOUND

Chance approached the compound's main entrance. He took a deep breath and exhaled the cool outside air. After regaining his oxygen, he pulled out his handgun. Raising it in the air he fired twice and dropped it to the ground. He could hear men, dogs and sirens going off. It was all for him. If this was the level of security Jeffery had for the perimeter, then the inside was most likely next to impenetrable.

Three men ran outside and surrounded home with their guns pointed to his head. "Don't move." Chance put his hands on his head. "Let's go!" The men pushed him towards the entrance. One of them got on the radio. "Mr. Valentino, we have the suspect in custody." There was some radio garble and Jeffery came back. "Bring him to my office."

The men placed a hood over his head and headed down a long hallway. Chance used every sense he could to take in his surroundings. He had been blindfolded before and learned that your eyesight isn't necessarily your best sense. The place smelled like an old musty house. He could hear soldiers glad in bulletproof vests running around him. Radios were going off like mad and men were yelling in Finnish.

The group finally stopped. One man opened the door to an office and pushed him in. They sat him down in a chair, tied his hands and pulled his hood off. As Chance's eyes adjusted, he spotted Jeffery leaning on a desk across from him.

He got up and walked slowly towards Chance. "Mr. Bodyguard. Or as they call you Christopher Chance." He looked him over and leaned down. "Do you want to know the problem with women? They tend to always get in the way. Take Ilsa for example. You wouldn't be in this fiasco if it weren't for her. Yet here you are making some sort of rescue attempt in the middle of nowhere. Surprise sir. You too are now captured. I don't know why you would even attempt to get involved on some level with her. With her kind of money, everyone will be after her. I happened to get there first. The question is why? I can imagine for the obvious reasons. Though I have never had the opportunity to discover that portion of Mrs. Pucci."

Chance knew exactly what he was referring to. "Jeffery, if you touch her, I swear I will break your arms and put a bullet in between your eyes." Jeffery laughed aloud. "Well my friend, I will gladly give you the gun if you think you can manage. But until then, I think a little fun is in order." He motioned of his men to stand Chance up.

Jeffery took off his suit jacket. He opened one of the desk drawers and pulled out a set of brass knuckles. He walked back over to Chance. "Now Mr. Bodyguard, let's see if you're worth the money she paid you." He punched Chance in the ribcage.

Pain radiated through his body. He bent over slightly but never fell. Jeffery punched him again. This time in the face. He began bleeding from the corner of his eye. He couldn't remember the last time he was in this much pain.

"Keep something in mind my friend." Another punch to the ribcage. "Ilsa Pucci is no longer your concern. In fact, if I weren't such an awful person, I would let you go so that you can forget about her. But I think I would rather let her watch you die." Another punch in the stomach. This time Chance fell to one knee. He started coughing and small traces of blood were seeping from his mouth.

OUTSIDE OF THE COMPOUND

Two men were smoking at the main entrance and laughing at each other's jokes. One of the men stopped laughing when he noticed a car speeding towards them. He started yelling over his radio. The car was gaining momentum with no signs of stopping. They lifted their guns and started firing, but the car didn't stop. A few other men came outside and started firing. Before the men could get out of the way…BOOM! It exploded along with the entryway into the manor. They started scrambling and more alarms went off. There was yelling and screaming from every direction. Twelve men in black armor and night vision gear started running towards the entrance. One of them stopped and got on his radio. "Dude, we're in."

JEFFERY'S OFFICE

They both heard the explosion. Jeffery's radio was a flurry of sounds. Chance looked up at him. He inhaled a few times to catch his breath. "You're such a generous person. I appreciate you wanting her to watch me die. But that would greatly upset my Aunt Patty." Jeffery gave him a puzzled look. Just then, the lights went out.

Jeffery immediately grabbed his gun and swung it around him. He had no sense of direction in the darkness. Even with the ruckus outside, the room was eerily quiet. "Chance I swear I will kill her! I will make her bleed!"

He started panicking at this point. But it was too late. He could feel Chance surrounding him. Before he could react, he heard a whisper in his ear. "No, you won't." Chance grabbed his arm and twisted it around. SNAP! Jeffery screamed in pain and went down to the floor. Chance grabbed the gun from his other hand and lifted him off of the ground. He then wrapped his arm underneath of Jeffery's. SNAP! Chance broke his other arm.

As Jeffery went back down to the floor, the door to the room flew open. "Chance! You in here?" He spun around to hear Guerrero. "Yeah man." Guerrero handed him a flashlight and his gun.

Guerrero looked at Jeffery. "You want me to finish him?" Chance shook his head. "No. I got this one." Guerrero ushered the men out of the room and secured the door. Chance walked back over to Jeffery who was still on the floor attempting to get comfortable with his two freshly broken arms. He bent over him. "I want you to remember something before you die. You may have kidnapped her, but you didn't take advantage of her. You won't and no one ever will." Chance walked towards the door.

Jeffery yelled up to him. "Someone will have their way with her. Marshall did. You're just an asshole with a soft spot for that bitch!" Chance turned around and fired a shot between his eyes. Jeffery went down to the floor one last time.

"Guerrero, cover the perimeter. I'm going to get Ilsa." Guerrero directed the men to spread out and secure the area. Chance pulled out a map from his pocket and looked over it. He yelled one last time to Guerrero. "Let's make sure we extend the same courtesy as they did to us on the yacht." One of Franz's men looked at Guerrero. He smiled in the darkness. "It's gonna be Independence Day in here dude."

ILSA'S CELL

Ilsa could hear footsteps coming down the hall. She could hear gunfire. She pulled at the cuffs hard enough that her wrist started bleeding. Suddenly the door swung open. The faint moonlight outside of the window revealed the vague silhouette of a man with a gun pointed in the air. She stopped moving.

"Ilsa." he called softly. "Are you in there?"

She panicked and began sobbing again. "Chance, plea…please help me." Her voice was hoarse and the tears overtook her. He holstered his gun and sprinted over. She continued to struggle and made her wrist bleed even more.

Chance grabbed her shoulders and tried to calm her down. "Ilsa it's ok I'm here." He reassured her as she trembled. He reached down and picked the cuffs open. He was as gentle as he could be for fear of hurting her. As soon as they were removed she immediately embraced him. He cradled her face. "Ilsa I know you're scared but I need to get you out of here. I promise no one else will hurt you." She nodded slowly and rose from the bed. Chance grabbed her hand and led her to the door.

Winston and Franz were sitting hidden in a Jeep a few miles from the manor. Guerrero and Franz's men were busy placing charges. Winston could hear Guerrero come over the radio. "You ready dude?"

He answered back. "Oh yeah. Chance and Ilsa are at the rendezvous point. Let's light it up."

Winston held a panel of remote detonators to Franz. "With such great hospitality here in Finland, I thought maybe you would like to do the honors."

Franz smiled. "Gladly Mr. Winston." He took the panel. "I believe in America you say...that is a wrap!" With that, Franz pressed the buttons. In the distance, a gigantic fireball lit up the cold night sky. There was screaming and yelling from every direction. The two men laughed and went to pick up Chance and Ilsa.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

Savory Snacking 8

ILSA'S PLANE

Once they were on the plane, Chance led Ilsa to her bedroom. He sat her down on the bed and began to examine her wrist. He had never known himself to be this gentle and felt like he was handling a piece of crystal.

"Ilsa I'm sor-" She cut him off. "It's ok."

He wished he could have killed Valentino when he first laid eyes on him. Before he could do this to her. He opened the first aid kit and pulled out ointment and gauze.

"You know Mr. Chance, I should be the one tending to you." She glanced over the cuts and bruises on his face and arms. He smiled at her. "Its ok, my boss would just say it's part of the job." She wished she could make his pain go away but in reality, this was another spike in her heart that made her afraid him.

He finished wrapping her wrist and put the first aid kit aside. She rose to leave and he stopped her. "No, no Mrs. Pucci. It's a long flight home and you need rest."

She opened her mouth to protest but he had already drawn back the covers. He pointed at the bed. She couldn't deny that she was overly exhausted and could sleep for days. She motioned for him to turn around while she slipped out of her clothes. She removed her pants and instantly felt cool.

She wore nothing but a pair of barely there lace panties and a matching camisole. She stepped behind a still turned around Chance and slipped into the bed. As he turned back around he caught a glimpse of skin where the lace met her top. After the exercise room fiasco, he wondered if she owned anything other than black lace. Not that it was a problem, but it seemed like it was all she wore. At least that he could tell.

He was falling for Ilsa and he couldn't deny that. But he didn't want her to be a pity job. He was her protector but wanted to be so much more.

He simply stated. "You're going to sleep now, right?"

"Yes Mr. Chance, I will rest." He leaned down and placed a small chaste kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes and almost immediately fell sleep.

Ilsa woke up after a couple hours and felt like it was days. She looked over at her bedside table and noticed two white pills and a glass of water. Beside them was a note. ILSA TAKE THESE WHEN YOU WAKE UP. GUERRERO SAYS THEY'RE THE BEST PAIN MEDS!

She was happy that chance Cared so much but worried about Guerrero's choice of pain medication. She downed the pills and water. She peeked out of the door and out of the corner of her eye she saw Chance on the couch. Considering she hadn't eaten in some time she wanted a snack.

She knew he was tired and probably sound asleep so she only slipped her pants on. As she tiptoed towards the kitchenette, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was Chance, lying on her sofa…. with no shirt on. There were plenty of good looking men in her day that she had witnessed shirtless, but he was different. There was not a bone, muscle or piece of skin out of place. It was as if he walked directly out of a mold. A perfect mold. As he took each breath, his body contracted and moved with a steady pace. Her mind was moving in a million different directions. As she leaned closer, the top portion of his abdomen was exposed, and so was a nasty bruise complimentary of brass knuckles

She leaned closer to inspect the wound. Just then, without moving he stated calmly "Why aren't you sleeping?" She was caught staring and they both knew it. "I…you.." She stammered. He just looked at her and smiled. "Did the temperature go up in here?" He was commenting on her limited clothing choice.

She attempted to put on her most serious look with not much luck. "Mr. Chance, you have a nasty bruise on your side. While I appreciate your doctoring, its time to tend to you."

Before he could say anything she hustled back to get the first aid kit. When she got back she had a shirt on.

He smiled. "Where's my shirt?" She shot him a don't-go-there look with a raised eyebrow and helped him sit up. He winced in pain and she frowned. She knew he was trying his best to be as macho as he could. Ilsa tried hard not to stare. Every muscle in his arms and chest contracted yet again at each breath. She shook the thoughts out of her head and proceeded to work on his cut. She completed patching him up and reached for his shirt.

He was in excruciating pain taking it off in the first place and just couldn't manage on his own. "Will you help me put it on?"

She placed it gingerly over his neck. Like dressing a child, she directed him to place one arm in. she moved to his other side and placed the other arm inside. His free arm reached up to hold her arm. She looked at him puzzled. In one fluid motion, he moved his arm down her hip and pulled her into his lap without saying a word.

She was at a loss. "Mr. Chance I don't think your injury will-" he cut her off. "Ilsa, I thought I had lost you. I don't want that feeling ever again." He kissed her.

"I hardly think your bruise will heal if you continue to behave in this manner." Chance seized the opportunity to run his strong hand underneath of her shirt. Her skin was a mix of smooth and soft and he didn't want to stop caressing it. He gazed into her deep brown eyes.

"Well if you started wearing more clothing, I wouldn't have this problem." They both chuckled.

Ilsa stood up and gently pushed him back onto the sofa. "Ok, now it is your turn to rest." She leaned down and brushed her lips against his. He closed his eyes, and she couldn't help but smile.

HANGER 13

When the plane landed, Ilsa departed first. They had both been thru so much and all they wanted to do was rest. She was welcomed by an extremely stressed out Connie.

"Ilsa….." She hugged her and started crying. "I thought we had lost you." Ilsa held back her tears when she saw Chance walking down to the tarmac. Connie walked up to him and could tell he was in pain. "Mr. Chance. There are no words. Whatever you need, it is yours." He extended his arms to her and gently hugged her. She was satisfied with that.

"Mr. chance, I think it best that I at least stay with you for one night. Until I am sure your healing continues." He nodded. As much as he wanted to be strong, he just couldn't. He was in pain and Ilsa knew that.

THE WAREHOUSE

When they arrived at the warehouse it was quiet. The rest of the team had gone home to recover. It was chilly inside and all Chance wanted to do was lay in his bed with the blankets over his head. Ilsa motioned for him to proceed upstairs. He obeyed. He was in no mood to protest. This was the first time in their working relationship that he was the one who needed cared for. He sat down slowly on the bed and took his shirt off. Ilsa laid him back on the pillow. "I am going to take a quick shower ok."

When Ilsa returned he was still lying in the bed awake. She gave him a small frown. "Close your eyes." He listened to her, but still felt a little hollow. He opened his eyes again and gazed at her. "Ilsa…." He trailed off. She stared back and knew exactly what he wanted and didn't need to verbally respond. "Alright Mr. Chance, but you need to rest."

He sheepishly nodded. Ilsa smiled and slipped into the bed next to him and he immediately cuddled next to her. She wrapped one arm around him and placed her fingers in his hair. There was nothing that felt more soothing than her finely manicured nails gently scratching through his hair. He could stay here forever.

"Mr. Chance I am only going to stay here for a few moments and then I am going to sleep on the coach ok?" He nodded and fell asleep.

THE NEXT MORNING

When Chance woke up, he felt better. As he opened his eyes he smelled vanilla and woman. It smelled wonderful to him. He could also define hints of strawberry and lilac. All he could figure was that it smelled like a billion dollars. The female scent was that of distinction. There was nothing that could match that. It was a combination of strength, stamina and willpower. When he finally opened his eyes, he was greeted with curly black locks of hair. Ilsa had managed to roll into him. Her lips were inches from his bare chest.

Women and their body products was a mystery to him. It also turned him on. He had imagined that she used it to drive him crazy. It worked. He inhaled deeply the last traces of vanilla and she stirred. He loosened his grip on her and she stretched her full length like a cat. That's exactly what he saw her as. Only she was like the Cheshire cat. Sweet and soft yet cunning and quick to pounce.

While Chance was enjoying the last moments of his rest, Ilsa woke up. But not the way he expected her to. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was in bed with him and immediately shot up. "Oh my God. We didn't…did we?" She placed her hand over her forehead and eyes in embarrassment. She got out of the bed and looked around for her things.

"Ilsa, what's wrong?" Chance had struggled to sit up in the bed while he watched her pace the floor in despair.

"Why am I in your bed? Why did I stay? I can't keep doing this to myself!" At that moment she looked down and noticed she was wearing a pair of his sweatpants and shirt. "Oh my God, where are my clothes?"

"Ilsa please calm down. Don't you remember showering last night? You wanted to stay here to make sure I was ok. Now I am little worried that you aren't ok."

She turned to him with a more serious look. "I wanted to make sure you were ok. I am not ready for this. I have let myself fall for you and it can't be that way. This relationship has been hell on me. First those damn sunflower seeds, then the opera and Venice. Everything was a mistake."

Chance was a little hurt by that comment. He wasn't sure what was wrong with Ilsa, but he knew she was in a state of confusion. "Ilsa, I'm sorry. I had no idea you felt this way. I thoug-" Ilsa cut him off. "No. I should not have let it come to this. I can't care about you like this. One of us will get hurt. I should not have kissed you or anything else. I need to go…..now!" She stopped looking for her clothes and decided to go home in his. She turned to him one last time. "Christopher. Are you sure we didn't?" Chance just looked at her. "No Ilsa we didn't."

She turned back around and went down the stairs to the elevator. Chance just sat in the bed with a dumb look on his face.

ILSA'S PENTHOUSE

When she walked through her door, she immediately shed his clothing. She walked upstairs to her shower and turned the water up as hot as she could bear it. As she stepped in, she began to cry. The salt from the tears and the burning hot water stung her eyes. Millions of thoughts were running through her head. She in fact was falling for him. But deep down, she was afraid that something would happen. What if he fell for another woman? What if she got killed? Or worse off, what if he got killed and she had to be alone again. She leaned against the shower wall and slid down to the floor in a flurry of emotions and pain.

Across town, Chance got into his own shower. He felt like his pain had tripled. The water hit his cuts and bruises and he groveled in pain. He knew that a good portion of the pain was from Ilsa. Why had she left so quickly? Why was she afraid? If something did happen…why would she be so upset? He lowered his head into the spray and stood there for what seemed like an eternity. When he got out, he dried off and went downstairs. As he stepped into Ilsa's office he noticed the bag of sunflower seeds on her desk. The thought of her teaching him how to eat them raced thru his mind, until the phone ringing interrupted him.

"Hello." A frantic voice on the other line started speaking.

"Hello, Christopher Chance…. I need help."

2 WEEKS LATER AT THE WAREHOUSE

Chance had not spoken to Ilsa since she left his place that morning. He wondered why she hadn't called or emailed. None of the other team members had heard from her either. He had decided to email her to let her know that they had new clients coming in today.

The elevator chimed and two women walked out. They were both tall and with blonde hair. One of the women had piercing blue eyes and the other brown. He could only imagine they were sisters or close relatives. They were dressed in business attire, that was oddly enough not appropriate for any office setting. He raised his eyebrows.

"Mrs. Anderson?" One of the women extended her hand. "Yes I am Dana Anderson. This is my sister Sheila Holtz."

Chance shook both of their hands. "Nice to meet the both of you. Please come in and have a seat." As they were heading into the conference room, the elevator chimed again. This time Winston got off. He walked over to the conference room.

"Winston, this is Mrs. Anderson and Holtz. Their brother is trying to murder them." Winston shook his head. "Well ladies you came to the right place. Chance I will brief Guerrero and Ames tomorrow. He took her on a special assignment."

Chance wrinkled his lips. "Oh boy." He leaned on the table. "So, your brother is trying to kill you. Any particular reason why?"

Dana spoke up. "Well I don't know if you remember that horrible accident that happened in San Diego last year. Two men were killed in a horrible car accident. Well that was our husbands. The "Steel Brothers" was what they were known as."

Winston interjected. "The steel tycoons that brought a stronger type of steel to the market. They were making a lot of money."

Dana lowered her head. "Well that was the problem. After they died, we started getting threats about who would own and run the company. They had fired our brother because he was selling material overseas at a higher price. Our international connections found out and started pulling the supply demands. Now I think we are suffering form his job loss."

The elevator chimed one more time. Chance's face looked puzzled because Winston said Guerrero and Ames weren't coming in. Ilsa walked off of the elevator. She was well dressed as always and carrying her briefcase. She didn't acknowledge anyone in the conference room and went straight to her office.

"Ladies if you will excuse me." Chance got up and left while Winston pulled out a notepad.

He walked into Ilsa's office. "I see you got my message. Or were you hear for something else." She looked up at him. "I do have a foundation to run and if there is work to do then I will be here to do it." Chance shook his head. "But you fell off the face of the earth for two weeks. No work during that period." Ilsa was getting irritated because she didn't want to face what happened. She got up and walked up to him. She looked him straight in the eye. "Mr. Chance. I don't want to go down this road. It's over and we need to move on with our work." He had no response to her comment. He let her walk by and just stood there. He finally turned around to join all of them in the conference room.

Winston looked over his notes. "Okay Chance this guy has some heavy connections. Looks like we need to take him out." Chance took a moment to think and then looked around. He looked at Ilsa who was busy looking at the women. "Well we need to get you some exposure ladies. You will be in the line of fire but that's what we want."

Sheila spoke up. "Well we are vulnerable wherever we go. There is a yearly get together this weekend to support a local Children's Shelter that we are supposed to attend and we are afraid to go. People are going to start asking questions and before long, our money will stop coming in."

Ilsa looked up. "Are you talking about Thomas's Shelter?"

"Yes, why?" Dana gave her quite the interesting look. Ilsa just shook her head.

Chance made one last glance at the notes. "Ok ladies. We will see you this weekend." Winston walked the ladies to the elevator where they departed. Ilsa looked over to Chance. "Mr. Chance, I am the head of the charitable board at the shelter they were referring to. I would have thought women of their…caliber…they would have known that. I too am attending this event and hope that since there will be children in attendance…you keep your gun at home." With that Ilsa got up and left.

Winston said goodbye to Ilsa as she left then looked at Chance. He pursed his lips. "Winston…tell me again why we agreed to take her onboard." Winston just chuckled at him. "Man I just don't know sometimes. But you need to get your suit dry cleaned."

THOMAS'S CHILDREN'S SHELTER

Winston dropped Chance off at the main entrance. He looked around for his new clients. He crossed his fingers that Ilsa decided not to show up after all. They hadn't spoken about their bedroom incident and didn't think she was ever going to. So he had to face the fact that it was the end of anything that would ever happen between them.

Chance decided to walk into the shelter. There he found his clients at the registration table. They walked over to him. Dana spoke up. "Mr. Chance welcome. We were getting some plans finalized here. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Sheila looked him over and raised her eyebrows. Chance didn't notice her intent eye over his perfectly fitting suit. But she wasn't the only one looking at him either. The women were dressed nearly identical in pink dresses. Like their first meeting with Chance dignity was thrown out the window.

Chance opened both of his arms to the women. "Ladies, shall we?" They walked in holding his arms and began mingling. As always Chance was paying attention to his surroundings. Winston had fitted him with an earpiece to keep him abreast of the action.

Ilsa's driver opened the door to her car and helped her out. She walked up the stairs to the entrance of the shelter and was instantly greeted by a group of employees. "Mrs. Pucci hello! It is so wonderful to see you. Looking spectacular as always." Ilsa smiled and returned the hugs and handshakes. Deep down she has missed all of the people that appreciate her generous donations. She was always grateful. One woman commented as Ilsa went into the crowd. "That woman is soooo classy."

When Ilsa hit the crowd, many of them turned to look at her. She smiled and started mingling. In the corner of the room, Chance was talking to Winston. They had come to the realization that their brother would most likely not make an appearance, however they had to be cautious. There were probably other rogue thugs working for him that would shoot them regardless of where they were.

When Chance finally looked up, Ilsa was in his direct line of vision. He inhaled sharply and got back on the radio. "Lovely, she's here." Winston shook his head in the van. "Well buddy you have a job to do so don't worry about her."

Chance was going to be the bigger man in the situation. He walked towards Ilsa who had not noticed him yet. Chance noticed her dress. Once again a scene stealer. She had chosen a simple yet elegant peach colored dress that hugged all the right places. Much more tasteful then the sisters' ensemble. Ilsa's eyes finally fell on Chance. He spoke first. "Good evening Mrs. Pucci." She nodded to him. "Hello Mr. Chance. I trust everything is going well for the case?"

"Yes. I doubt anyone will show up, but I needed to get an idea of what we are dealing with." She gave him a wry smile. "Well since there is no eminent danger to them, maybe they can work ont heir fashion disasters they call a dress."

Chance was surprised at her dig. "Are you jealous?"

Ilsa huffed. "Hardly. I thought women of their class should be somewhat presentable. You don't have to have the best brand name on the market rather looking tasteful should prevail. They aren't teenagers."

"Ilsa..come on. Why did you even come tonight? You knew we had clients here. Are you trying to prove something?" She looked at him. "Mr. Chance since you have little knowledge of the things I have done in my life let me clue you in. I happen to be the guest of honor this evening. The very building you are standing in was funded by The Pucci Foundation. Your new clients, who are self proclaimed donors may have given significant financial assistance but it is simply a show for them. They are known by name but not by involvement. Unlike them Mr. Chance, I don't mind getting my hands dirty."

Before Chance could respond, the women approached them. "Hello Mrs. Pucci. Didn't know you would be here tonight. This is a bit low on your donor list isn't it?" Dana wanted to push her buttons a bit and raise the tension.

Ilsa managed a smile. Before she could make a comeback, a man began speaking on stage. "Ladies and gentlemen if you could please take your seats we would like to get started with this evenings events." The guests started to sit down. Ilsa sat in a reserved section in the front row while Chance sat one row back. The sisters sat on either side of him. "I would like to express my gratitude to the various donors who have helped to make this shelter a safe haven for those children with no home. Your generosity is beyond compare. I would also like to express my deepest thanks to The Pucci Foundation for building our newest. wing. We have now housed an extra one thousand homeless children." The crowd began clapping and some of the women began to get teary eyed. "Mrs. Pucci, as our guest of honor, please come and join us onstage." The crowd started clapping as Ilsa got up. She looked behind her at the women and smiled. She didn't need to say a word to them. If they hadn't realized their stupidity, now they did.

As Ilsa took the stage, a small boy came down to the sister's row. He looked over at Dana and motioned for her to step out. Chance followed behind her in case it was a trap. He also radioed to Winston to be on alert. The little boy was maybe ten years old and looked like a nervous wreck. He motioned for her to bend down. He hesitated and then struggle out. "Mrs. Anderson…Mr. Kramer said that you might be able to sing my song with me. I'm scared to do it by myself. And I picked you because you are very pretty. I was going to ask Mrs. Pucci first but she is talking right now." Chance held in his laughter at the fact Ilsa was his first choice. He knew that it angered Dana.

She stood up straight up and hovered over him. "I'm sorry young man but I must meet with some very important people here tonight if you want the shelter to stay open." With that she turned and went back to her seat. Chance was stunned at her behavior. It was one thing to not sing with the kid but a totally different story to tell him he might be homeless in the future. Chance could see the dejection in his face. He knelt down to the boy and spoke softly. "Hey bud, don't worry about her. How about we ask Mrs. Pucci to sing with you instead?" The little boys eyes lit up. "Really mister. Would she really do it?" Chance shook his head. "I bet if you go ask her, she just might."

Ilsa was standing backstage greeting the children who were going to sing after the other donors spoke. Chance walked through a back door with the little boy and called over to Ilsa. "Okay everyone…good luck." She raised an eyebrow. "Ah, Mr. Chance…not with your clients?" He looked down at the little boy. "This young man would like to ask you a question." Ilsa bent down to him. He was more nervous then ever because Ilsa was his first choice. "Mrs. Pucci, would you sing 'This Light of Mine' with me?" That was all he could manage out. Ilsa smiled down and him. "Well I think we can arrange for me to sing with you." The boy lit up again like he did with Chance. He was so elated that he ran to the rest of his group to tell them. She looked at Chance. "Find yourself a camera, this will be the only time you will see something like this occur." Chance struggled not to smile at her, but the humor got the better of him.

The children's choral group came on the stage and sang a few numbers. The little boy walked out holding Ilsa's hand. He felt like he was on top of the world. She pulled up the front of her dress and got down on her knees beside him. The pianist started playing and they both started singing. By the second verse, the audience began clapping in time with them. After the number, Ilsa hugged the young boy and he escorted her off of the stage.

After the awards ceremony, one of the teenage boys of the shelter took to the stage with his DJ equipment. He started playing music and everyone got on the dance floor. At this point, Chance was certain the sister's enemies wouldn't show up. So he took his tie off and relaxed a bit.

Ilsa walked up to Chance. "No slow dancing with your child hating clients?" He looked at her. "Nope. When I dance slow with women, I tend to get shot at." She raised her eyebrow at their first meeting reference.

She curled her bottom lip. "Well maybe if you would formulate some sort of game plan those things won't happen." Chance wasn't backing down. Like the yacht, he was going to be just as stubborn. "Last time I checked, I had clients that were willing to fly to NEPAL to find me. I must be doing something right." She flexed her muscles. "Don't flatter yourself."

"I was simply stating a point. Not to mention I wouldn't have bullets flying at me if I wasn't working with amateurs….. well one anyway." Back to Claypool again. "Mr. Chance, you wouldn't have that problem if you would simply stop being the macho man all of the time." He gave her a questioning look. " You know I was perfectly fine doing my work here tonight and then you had to interrupt me." She shook her head. "That's right, protecting the Barbie twins. Well for starters, I am welcome here just as much as they are."

"You know something Ilsa yo-" He was interrupted by the young boy that sang with her. "Excuse me, Mrs. Pucci. Would you dance with me?" Chance almost sighed in relief because he had a feeling that Ilsa may have out bickered him that go round. She took his hand and they walked to the dance floor. "I picked this song because my girlfriend dumped me." Ilsa was stunned at his statement. "Aren't you a little young to have a girlfriend?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. Women are tough sometimes." She smiled down at him as Adele's 'Someone like You' came on.

Sheila came over to a grumbling Chance. "Mr. Chance, since I am not getting killed we might as well make the best of it." She took his hand and walked out onto the dance floor. She put her arms around him and held him close. He was already rigid from bantering with Ilsa, but now he was even more rigid with this strange woman hanging onto him. As they all danced to the song, Ilsa moved around and saw Sheila's head on his shoulders. She raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

When the song ended the little boy thanks Ilsa. She kissed him on the cheek and he blushed three shades of red.

Chance was just as lucky…but in a more awkward way. "Well Mr. Chance, I can't say you are the smoothest dancer, but you look very good. Sheila kissed him on the cheek. "Ok Mrs. Holtz, I think you and your sister need to head home. We will meet back in my office at 8 am tomorrow." As she was walking away, she made it a point to brush past Ilsa. When she did, she turned and blew a kiss to Chance. Ilsa had a blank stare on her face. The DJ came over the microphone. "Ok folks this is our last song. A little bit of new school artistry with old school music. He turned on Tank's version of 'I Can't Make You Love Me'.

Ilsa turned around to leave when Chance walked up behind her and grabbed her arm. She turned around a bit shocked. He stared her down. "I don't think so."

She pulled gently but he didn't let go. "What do you think you are doing?"

He began pulling her to the dance floor. "You're going to explain to me why you have been acting the way you have. Hot and cold all the time. It is unnecessary and unnerving for the team." Without notice, he lifted her arms around his neck and placed his around her waist. People started staring at the powerful couple so all she could do was smile. To everyone watching, they looked perfectly natural.

He whispered into her ear. "Just tell me something Ilsa. If it is what happened between us, I will stop. But you don't have to be cruel about it. The team can feel the tension." He forced her to meet his gaze. "Fine Mr. Chance. I will be more aware of my behavior. As for us, there is nothing to talk about.

The song ended and she left. Leaving him to wonder again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

**Author's notes: (because you love them so much )**

**1. I hate proofreading. I am not afraid to admit that. But which one of you readers let me use 'coach' instead of 'couch'? Yup that's right. There is a special place reserved for you….it's called writer's hell! I will see you there. Of course I blame myself some because I like COACH bags. But…still not my fault.**

**2. I don't normally incorporate music elements into my writing but apparently I have. So feel free to email me if I didn't give you a good enough description on what the songs were. **

**3. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the comments and reviews.**

**4. I think I have made VENICEIT my official muse…..standby while I get her permission…..**

Savory Snacking 9

Chance was sitting at the conference table waiting for the sisters to come in for their briefing. The elevator chimed and Ilsa walked out. She made her way to the office and noticed him sitting in the room. She nodded hello and kept walking. He got up and followed her. The next few moments were going to be intense because he needed to discuss funding and travel.

"Ilsa, I am going to make this easy. I need money and the jet to go to Paris." Our clients are expected to be there for a conference and we need to get them exposed."

Ilsa never looked up. "Just give me the dates and times and I will reserve the jet." She continued working without acknowledging him.

"So are you going to be able to go?"

Ilsa shook her head. "Mr. Chance, why on earth would I need to go?"

"Well, you have all the connections Ilsa and it makes the trip so much easier."

"So you need me to be your administrative assistant?" She finally looked at him.

Chance just looked at her. "You promised remember? You would be less confrontational."

She smiled. "Alright Mr. Chance. You win as always. I will see that your itineraries are generated at once. Did you want me to pick up you dry cleaning as well?" She was dripping with sarcasm. The truth was that she had no desire to share her plane or money with the sisters. But business ruled out.

Chance turned and left.

The sisters showed up an hour late. The entire crew was there and growing irate by the moment. Dana spoke first. "I am so sorry. We got a little drunk last night and didn't get home until very late."

Guerrero glanced at them over his glasses. "You do know people want to kill you? If you keep acting like that, I am going to find out the prices on your heads myself."

Chance jumped in. "Ok lets all just settle down and look everything over. The two of you are scheduled to attend this conference and the wine mixer after. It is by exclusive invite, so Ilsa you will need to secure invitations. We are going to have a perimeter set and Winston you are going to be my eyes. Ames, you're going to be my date."

Sheila looked at him. "Why aren't we going in with you?"

Chance wanted to tell them that he really wanted them to be easier targets. "I need to be able to get around the place so we can get your brother out. He won't shoot you in the conference because it's too dangerous and he might get caught. He is going to be covert, so Ames and I need to find him first."

They didn't have much choice in the matter so they both nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Ilsa what time do we leave?"

"Four pm sharp. Hanger 13. Please do be on time."

Everyone got up and went their separate ways. Ilsa asked Chance to stay for a moment. He sat back down. "Mr. Chance, I know we had a discussion about our relationship and the team. I wanted to talk about it." He got worried. "I have decided that I am not running from you, but I need to take some time. When this case is over, I need to go back to London and work for a bit. It is nothing against you. It's me." She walked towards him and stared straight into his soul.

"Christopher, I fell for you very hard, and I learned something about myself. I am too afraid to let myself go and care about you. I am so afraid of what might happen and I don't want my heart broken again. I understand everything you told me and I respect that, but in the end, someone always gets hurt."

Chance threw his arms in the air. "Here we go again. Can you make up your mind please? Stay or go." Chance was fed up with her attitude. She wanted to be part of the team and now she was leaving. It was frustrating for him because he wanted to make sure she was involved. After all, she begged and pleaded to have them let her be a part of some of the missions.

Then there were his feelings. He chased her once. Would he do it again? Not this time. "You know something, I would have done anything for you. That line about someone getting hurt is total bullshit. When you care about someone enough, you are willing to make those sacrifices." He was perfectly fine letting her go. He couldn't deal with it anymore. He spat out. "Have a nice life Ilsa." He hustled up to his loft and threw himself on the couch.

She knew he was going to be upset over it. She had finally come to the realization that she cared about Chance, but was too afraid to let herself go. She got up and walked to the elevator.

He scowled at the thought of her comments. He grabbed the remote and turned on the radio. Rascal Flatts filled the room.

_We broke up  
>yeah, it's tough<br>most guys would've been crushed  
>Wastin' their time<br>Wonderin' where they went wrong  
>No way, not me<br>Hey, I'm doing just fine  
>I'm not afraid of movin' on<em>

_It's easy going out on a Friday night  
>Easy every time I see her out<br>I can smile, live it up  
>The way a single guy does<br>But what she, what she don't know  
>Is how hard it is to make it look so<br>Easy  
><em>

Ilsa arrived at her penthouse. She was exhausted from their little "chat". She walked into her living room and turned on the radio. Natashe Bedingfield filled the speakers.

_The truth is  
>I miss lyin' in those arms of his<br>But I don't ever let it show  
>I laugh and I act like<br>I'm having the time of my life  
>as far as he knows<em>

_It's easy goin' out on a Friday night  
>Easy, everytime I see him out<br>I can smile, live it up  
>The way a single girl does<br>But, what he, what he don't know  
>is how hard it is to make it look so<br>Easy  
>Oh, it's easy<br>_

In San Francisco, there were two people listening to the same song on the same radio station. The both of them sat in their respective homes wondering why they weren't with each other. It hadn't dawned on either of them, that there was a possibility of communication failure. Their jobs and lives were strenuous and it wasn't a simple 9-5. There were risks. There were dangers. And at the end of the day, sometimes they couldn't sleep.

_Oh, it's easy goin' out on a Friday night  
>Oh, it's easy every time I see him out<br>I can smile, live it up  
>Forget about the way it was<br>But what she  
>Oh, what he don't know<br>What she don't know  
>Is how hard it is to make it look so<br>Easy  
>Look so easy <em>

HANGER 13

The crew and the sisters all arrived on time. Ilsa was already aboard making a few final phone calls. When Chance got on, he only looked at her once. He sat down and turned a movie on. The sisters helped themselves to the jets amenities. The rest of the crew threw their bags down and got comfortable.

A couple hours into the flight, Winston gathered everyone to go over the plan. "Ok, ladies you will go to the conference as scheduled. Guerrero will secure the perimeter. Chance you and Ames will be attending the wine mixer after the conference. And Ilsa." She interrupted him. "No Mr. Winston I won't be a part of the mission this time."

"But Ilsa we need you to scope out their brother if he is have the connections and people are expecting you."

Ilsa shook her head. "Mr. Winston if it is absolutely neces-" Chance interjected. "It is." Without a second look he got up and went back to his seat.

Once again the air around everyone had thickened. Ilsa was in no mood for his attitude, especially after she talked things over with him. She decided not to argue after all. It wasn't worth it.

When the plane landed, Ilsa handed everyone his or her room keys. When she entered, the concierge greeted her. "Mrs. Pucci, your suite is ready." The sisters looked at her with their noses in the air. With as much money as they had, they had not been treated like royalty.

There were businessmen all over the lobby. Any of them could have been the subject. Ilsa decided to head to her room and play it safe, besides she needed to get her evening attire together.

As the women walked around the conference, they began to get nervous. They knew the mixer was coming up and their brother would surely be there. Did he hire a hitman? Would he do it himself? Now was the time to rely as much as possible on Chance.

Ilsa started getting ready. She donned her makeup and went to the closet for her dress. She wasn't in the mood for this tonight but she had to make an appearance. Tonight's part wasn't something she usually did. Mixers were more about business, and that was all Marshall. Her preference was charitable events, parties and grand openings. The things that exposed the recipients. Not just the donors.

Her dress tonight, would most likely steal the show again. It was black, simple and elegant. But for some reason set off the entire room. She looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. There were so many things going through her head. She was struggling with the fact that she wanted to be in London, and at the same time be with him. When she woke up in the morning, she always asked herself the inevitable question on what to do. She couldn't keep flip flopping her decisions. It wasn't fair. No wonder she had mild insomnia. She closed her eyes and silently prayed for the night to go by easily. As she walked down the hall, she placed the small radio device in her ear.

Chance met Dana and Sheila at the party. They had donned their own little red numbers. Not as bad as their pink wardrobe disaster, but close enough.

"Ok, I just spoke to Winston. He is here."

Dana started to panic and he put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we have guns on him. You both need to act as normal as possible. Find someone to dance with or get a drink. If you make any sudden moves he will know."

Chance radioed for Ilsa. "Ilsa do you copy?" She came back. "Yes, I am here."

Chance spotted her mingling in the crowd. "Okay. Their brother is at your 4. Red dress shirt, black tie. Keep him busy."

Ilsa walked over to the man with caution. She never thought she would be in this situation before. In fact, she took a moment to wonder why. Was she really the person for this type of work? Was she doing this for a particular reason?

"Excuse me, you must be Jeremy Rodriguez. My colleagues have told me a lot about you. My name is Ilsa Pucci."

He already had a few drinks in him. Enough to be bold at this point. "Well Ilsa, you look quite stunning. Would you care to salsa?"

"Ilsa what are you doing?" Winston radioed to her. "Are you nuts? That guy could kill you." Ilsa made immediate eye contact with Chance. He looked back over at her and nodded his head. He looked to the ladies and began ushering them out of the door. "Winston, they are headed your way. Get them in the van and keep them there. Guerrero make sure you got em covered. Ames go with them." Ames motioned for the women to follow her while their brother wasn't looking.

Chance's blood was beginning to boil. Partially because this maniac was in the middle of a salsa with Ilsa and partially because he had his arms around her getting a little too comfortable. When did she learn how to salsa anyway? The room was focusing on her ability to move smoothly with the music. She looked exquisitely sexy.

"How are we going to play this Chance? She is in the line of fire."

Chance had to think fast. He walked slowly over to the stage while keeping an eye on her.

Ilsa could feel the cold hard piece of steel on Jeremy's hip. She looked down. "Oh it's ok. I like to keep a little protection with me. Especially when beautiful women like yourself try to destroy everything I have worked for." Ilsa looked into his cold eyes. "Yes Mrs. Pucci I know you're here with my sisters. You're wasting your time as well as mine. Why don't we step outside?"

When he turned them around Chance abruptly stopped them. "May I cut in?" The relief in Ilsa's face was beyond apparent.

"No you cant, Mrs. Pucci and I were just leaving." He gave Chance a small shove. "How about we settle this right here. Without the guns." When Jeremy turned back around he saw Chance's gun on his hip.

He chuckled. "The place is surrounded isn't it?" Chance smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way Mr. Rodriguez. I'm sure your sisters don't want you hurt, so you can either give up now, or leave with a few bruises."

Jeremy just looked at him. "Fine."

Chance looked at Ilsa. "Take our guns." She opened her hands and they both obliged. Just then Jeremy started shouting. "Ladies and gentlemen. If you look this direction you will see that two men are about to fight hand to hand…because this woman has our guns!" His drunken state was apparent. The crowd started looking their direction and one woman yelled. "Oh God they have guns."

Chance removed his suit jacket and threw it to the side. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's ok. Mr. Rodriguez as you probably don't know has been the person sending death threats to his sisters. Not to mention selling materials at skyrocketing prices." People in the room starting whispering to each other.

Winston walked in with the hotel security but didn't let them go after the men. It was time to play it out.

Jeremy threw the first punch at Chance. He dodged it and pushed him back. The alcohol in Jeremy's system made him stronger than normal and his pain threshold was much higher. They began beating on each other like thugs. A hit here and a punch there. They had both drawn blood from each other. Between shin kicking and leg sweeps they were both beginning to tire. Chance finally got a quick shot in Jeremy's face and he went down. He was breathing heavily and he knelt down beside him. "Okay Mr. Rodriguez…you lose. Jail will be much better than a bullet. Trust me." Winston sent in the officers to get Jeremy. He was groaning in pain at this point. Chance did a number on him.

He walked to the door past Ilsa and Winston. "Good work everyone."

Ilsa wasn't sure how to respond, because it wasn't until he saw Chance kneeling beside Jeremy. Thoughts of their past and when she met him all started coming back to her. The memories bombarded her head. It wasn't until he watched him fight Jeremy did she realize he was fighting for her. He could have shot him; Guerrero could have shot him, hell anyone could have shot him. But he didn't. He engaged in hand-to-hand combat. He didn't even want to risk her getting shot. She looked at Winston with worry in her face. "Mr. Winston….I think I have made a grave mistake."

Chance started removing his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He headed to the sister's room to let them know what happened. He went to Sheila's room first. He knocked on the door. When she answered, she was only clad in a skimpy nightgown. "Mr. Chance! What the hell happened to you?" He just shook his head. "Your brother was arrested. You and your sister are going to be ok." She kept looking at his beaten body. "Dana is asleep in her room. Why don't you come in and let me look at you." Chance shook his head no. "Mr. Chance, come on. You can trust me."

He felt defeated in that moment. He just saved the lives of the two women, but he also saved the life of a woman that he cared too much for. She didn't care back. He picked his head back up and walked through Sheila's door.

She went in the bathroom and got him a rag to wipe his face off. The blood was pooling around his lips and eyes. Everything hurt on his body. Sheila sat down beside him. "What happened?"

Chance put the rag down. "It was the easiest case I have ever had. All I had to do was fight your brother. No guns or bombs or anything. A simple man-to-man combat. He lost." Sheila got up and poured him a drink. "Here, you deserve it. I'm sorry you went through this. But I am glad we are ok now. You know he would have killed us?" Chance nodded. "Yes, he would have. Money drives people to do crazy things. Even kill family." Chance took another drink. "Can I have another please?"

Ilsa changed her clothes and walked to Chance's room. There wasn't an answer. She called Winston but he had no idea where he was. She felt like a complete idiot for acting the way she did. All she was doing was push him away. He had done everything in his power, and she just shot him down. Until his fight with Jeremy, she never realized his intentions towards her. She had come to the realization that her heart was something only he had a complete hold of. She just had to be willing to let it go.

Chance and Sheila were chuckling at one another. "Oh God, and then she says..hey that's my towel..get your own…..to think, she was going crazy over a towel! I wondered about her. I saved her life a few times…yet she was still ungrateful." Chance and Sheila had finished the bottle of vodka and were feeling pretty good.

Sheila moved closer to him on the couch. "Mr. Chance don't you think it is time for a decent woman in your life. You have been hurt enough." Chance could only agree. He knew that any relationship in his line of work was dangerous but he was human. Humans need love after all he had learned. But Ilsa all but tore his heart out and stomped on it, so what was the point. There he went again, thinking about her. His thoughts were stopped when he felt her hands around his shoulders.

Sheila wasn't the most dignified woman in the world, but Chance hadn't been with a woman in quite some time. It felt good to have hands caress his body again. Sure Ilsa…damn there she was again in his head. She had kissed him and tended to him…and it made him fell the same way. But when she said she didn't care deep enough for him, it all went down the tubes.

Sheila began moving her hands up and down his chest. She finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off of his shoulders. Her lips came up to meet his neck and shoulders. She kissed and caressed him. He closed his eyes and started getting lost.

"Mr. Chance, have you ever been properly thanked for the wonderful job that you do?" He wasn't sure how to respond. She pulled his shirt the rest of the way off and then leaned back on the arm of the couch. She pulled up the bottom potion of her nightgown to reveal her leg to him. She beckoned him to kiss her. Between the pain and the alcohol and Ilsa, he wasn't sure what to do. But he knew his heart was broken so giving in was pretty much his only option. He leaned over her and brought his hand up to touch her leg. He moved over top of her and leaned in.

It wasn't until he looked into her eyes. He stopped suddenly. They were hollow and empty. There was nothing genuine about her. Completely superficial. In fact, that's how he had seen most women that made an honest pass at him. Except Ilsa.

"What?" Sheila managed out. He leaned back. "Sheila, no. I can't do this. I wont do this." He grabbed his shirt from the floor. "This isn't me. What the hell did I even come in here for?" Chance walked to the door.

Ilsa had walked down into the lobby, restaurant and bar. She needed to find him. Everyone in the hotel knew it was Chance that fought Jeremy. No one knew where he was. She stopped looking for him and decided to go back to her room. She felt like she had lost a part of herself when she denied Chance her heart.

She walked down the hallway to her room with her head held low. As she made it halfway down, a door suddenly opened. She looked up and was met eye to eye with Chance. His shirt held in his hand.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

Author's notes: The final chapter. Of course I can't say for sure that it will be the last.

1. My knee has gotten better, but not 100%.

2. Writing this was a bit sentimental. I really like Human Target.

3. Sex scenes are scary….especially when you are the writer!

4. When I purchase my private jet….you are all invited for a ride.

5. England is calling my name.

6. At some point I can see myself running for president. I hope I have your vote.

7. There are many Wonders of the World. But the best Wonder…is the one you create every single day.

8. Enjoy ladies and gentlemen.

SAVORY SNACKING 10

Chance sobered up within seconds. There stood Ilsa, staring at him. Her mouth opened slightly. She tried to find something to say but there was nothing. Chance was at a loss for words just as much. They were both breathing intermittently. The world had stopped revolving and time stood still. It was if they were the only two people on the entire earth.

Sheila broke their stare when she walked up behind Chance. "Chance why don't you finish wha-" She stopped when she saw Ilsa. She drug her eyes over Sheila's attire and then back to Chance. Her mouth closed abruptly and she started walking towards her room.

"Chance come on." Shelia put her hands on his shoulders and pulled slightly. He said harshly. "Sheila NO!" He pulled his shoulders from her grasp and began walking after Ilsa.

She had hurried her pace. Chance followed suit to catch her. "Ilsa wait...please." She never turned around. "Mr. Chance I am sorry I interrupted you." Her suite was at the end of the hall. She prayed the door would open itself and stop him from following her. "Ilsa stop!" She didn't listen to him. She was busy pulling her key from her pocket when he finally caught up. She still didn't look at him.

"Ilsa it's not what you think." This time she looked at him. They were mere inches from each other. "Mr. Chance, it is none of my business. Regardless of what I think."

"Why are you out this late anyway?" Ilsa searched the floor for a lie. "I was out for a walk that's all. With tonight's events, I needed some air." That lie would work.

He caught her. "You're a terrible liar. Now tell me the truth."

"Mr. Chance, I don't want to discuss this right now. What I saw back there was…was something in your personal life I should not have seen."

"No….it wasn't what you thought it was."

Ilsa began opening her door. "Again it doesn't matter what I thought it was. It was none of my business." She opened the door and walked in. "Goodnight Mr. Chance." She turned around to close the door and he slammed his foot against the bottom to stop her from closing it completely. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" The fire in Ilsa's eyes didn't stop him.

"Something I should have done a long time ago." He pushed the door all the way open and gently pushed her back. When he was inside he closed it. Ilsa was stunned at his behavior. "You're drunk!" Without warning, he turned her around and put her back against the door. "No Ilsa, I am quite sober." He reached down and grabbed her hand. He brought it up to his heart and he placed it there. "Do you feel that? Do you? I would pull it out of my chest right now if I could and give it to you. But you are too stubborn to accept it. I would kill a million thugs if I had to in order to make sure you were safe."

Ilsa was confused over his statement. "I know you were looking for me. Winston told me. Remember, we are a TEAM. We don't hide things from each other."

She was caught. He knew her feelings now and she couldn't deny them. But what she didn't know was how to handle the Sheila situation. "Christopher, I can't." He shook his head. "Ilsa you can….but you won't. I swear I won't hurt you. Nothing happened between Sheila and I. I can promise you that. I talked about you the entire time. Before things went further, I stopped. You were the only thing on my mind." He hung his head down and started sobbing. "She was hollow and empty. All I wanted was you. I swear Ilsa…just you."

There he was. Sobbing like a child in her room. He didn't know what else to do. He felt two inches tall for being this way. But even his assassin heart was cracking in front of her.

She brought her hands up to his face and forced him to look at her. There were tears running down his cheeks. She believed nothing happened between him and Sheila. But now, for the first time, she felt like she was ready to give her heart to him. She kissed him. And for the first time she wasn't afraid of the results. He ran his tongue over her lips and ran his hand up and down her back. They were breathing hard. He trailed slow kisses down her neck and shoulder blades.

"Ilsa, you have the most perfect neck in the world." She smiled at his random comment. He continued kissing her and moved his hands to her blazer. He gently pushed it off her shoulders to reveal a red silk blouse. It felt like Heaven under his fingers, but her skin felt better.

Ilsa was ready to let go of her inhibitions. She felt ok in her own skin. After struggling with her emotional despair with Chance, she laid it all on the line. She ran her well manicured nails down the front of his chest. She knew it sent chills through his body. He looked at her with the biggest smile on his face. "You are a dangerous woman Mrs. Puc-" She stopped him. "Ilsa. My name is Ilsa."

For as long as he knew her, this was the first time that she detached herself from her husband. It was fair for her in more ways than one, because at least Chance cared enough about her to stop himself from being with another woman.

"Well Ilsa, I think its time for you to lose those pants." He reached down and unbuttoned them with ease. She shimmied out of them. Chance reached down to her thighs and ran his hands up to her toned backside. When he reached the lace, he stopped abruptly and looked down. Ilsa looked at him a little worried. "What?"

"Do you own anything other than black lace panties?" She wondered how on earth in the first place he was questioning her. Then their yacht performance came flooding back. Bravo Mr. Chance. She got a serious look on her face. "Yes I do. Maybe if you're nice to me, I will show you sometime." Chance seized the opportunity to kiss her. She finished removing her blouse.

"You're a little overdressed sir." She reached down and helped him unbutton his dress pants. They fell instantly to reveal a perfectly fitting pair of boxer briefs. This man was going to be the end of her she thought. She could feel him pressing against her. His kissing got more intense then.

Chance was fairly patient, but in this moment he felt like he was running first place in a marathon and didn't want to fall behind. He pushed the lace down to her ankles and she stepped out of them. She ran her fingers into the waistband of his boxer briefs and pushed at them. He obliged by helping her to take them off.

He lifted her leg up against his waist and ran his hands underneath of her. She gasped as he slowly and methodically placed two fingers inside of her. "Oh my god….Chance!" He loved her reaction. He teased her even more as she moved against his hips. He continued kissing up and down her neck as she purred. "Chance…please." She wanted to melt into him, she wanted to be part of him. It took all of his will power not to lose control. He pulled his hand up and she sighed in displeasure.

He smiled at her reaction. "You're a tough woman to keep satisfied." Ilsa leered at him. He didn't let her leg down. "So, I take it you want nothing to do with vanilla sex at this point?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "I want nothing to do with anything if it involves us moving out of this position."

Ilsa Pucci had respect for herself. She never had a hair out of place. Always well groomed and perfectly dressed. Yet here she was pinned against the wall, naked by an ex-assasin. When Chance heard those words come from her mouth, only then did he realize she was going to show him another side of Ilsa Pucci. She grazed his lower lip with her teeth and gently sucked on it.

He took that as his final ok. He widened her legs a bit and slowly entered her. She was on fire. Chance felt like losing control right there. When he buried himself inside of her completely he whispered into her ear. "You are absolutely perfect."

They moved rhythmically together for what seemed like hours. He could feel her nails digging into his flesh begging for him to move deeper and faster. He couldn't get enough of her. Her smell, her taste, her beauty, her voice saying his name. It drove him insane.

"Chance I'm getting close." Her breathing came in shorter increments as did his. He picked up his pace. He wanted to satisfy her in every way. They moved faster in unison.

"Ilsa…oh god…Ilsa!"

"CHANCE PLEASE!"

With one final thrust he finished. She gasped for air as he continued to give everything he had.

After a few moments passed, he went to drop her leg. She placed her hand on his. "No, please stay in me…just a little longer." She enjoyed feeling the fullness of him. He kissed her passionately and pushed once more.

When their breathing finally went back to normal, he gently released her. Ilsa kissed Chance and he wrapped his arms around her. They slowly slid down the door to the cool marbled floor and collapsed on one another in a heap of exhaustion. Chance pulled her hand up to his heart again. "It's always yours Ilsa." She kissed him and they both fell asleep together.

**THE WAREHOUSE**

It wasn't your typical relationship. People who worked around her knew with no second thought. Ilsa Pucci, a billionaire, mingling with the likes of Christopher Chance. A once rouge assassin who discovered his ongoing life would eventually land him in the grave. It wasn't a relationship that most people envied to have. For one, a $50,000 dress didn't exactly match well with a 9mm and second, office relationships never worked out for any one.

But this was different. This was the type of relationship that regardless of what happened, their backs were always covered. It wasn't easy in the industry to trust people, and when it came to the art of survival, not just any one would do. To the employees of the new "Marshall Pucci Foundation" safety was of utmost importance.

Christopher Chance was a man who knew exactly what he had to do in his business; who to talk to, how to dress, and how to deliver a bullet. But what he didn't know, was how to answer to a woman. He had fallen in love once, very hard, and was very much hurt. In the end however, he came to the realization that in his line of work, there was no place for a heart. Ilsa Pucci, seemed to have changed all that for him, and for the first time in his life, he wasn't going to run.

The ding of the elevator woke up a sleeping Carmine. He trotted to the door and sat patiently while it opened. When it opened, Christopher Chance stepped out.

"Hey buddy, been waiting all day for me?" Chance reached down to scratch a now stomach-exposed baby faced dog. He whined a bit and rolled back to his feet and then ran off towards Ilsa's office. "I see, get what you want then run off!" He dropped his duffel bag onto the floor and proceeded to his loft. Before he hit the first step, the soft yet direct British tone of a woman landed on his ear.

"Mr. Chance, while I do not have children, I can imagine being your mother might be a bit of a challenge."

He gazed at her with a puzzled look. "My mother told me I was a wonderful child."

Ilsa pointed to his duffle bag that lay directly in the path of any foot traffic that was next to pass through.

With a smile on her face she said softly. "And I suppose she told you that you were the cutest boy she had ever seen as well?"

With a defeated look on his face, he retrieved the bag. He heaved it over his shoulder as to impersonate a weight lifter and walked back to her. "Correction, she said I was HANDSOME and STRONG."

"You know something?" They walked back to her office and sat down. Chance put his bag down while Ilsa poured them a glass of Scotch. "I think I have learned more about myself since I joined the team…. then I have ever learned before."

He took a drink and smiled. "Should I alert the media?"

She playfully pushed him. "I just think that I have learned and grown so much since I have met you all. It is such a different dynamic. Gives me a view of the real world."

"Well Ilsa. I am glad you are satisfied with where your life is going. Sometimes it takes a few crazy people to help you get there."

They both got up. Chance headed to his loft. Before he rounded the corner Ilsa called to him. "Oh, Mr. Chance." He turned around.

She pulled the top of her skirt down enough for him to see the red lace thong she was wearing. "Something other than black." She winked and went back to her desk.

With a smile on his face he disappeared to his loft.


End file.
